Christoper Dammann

A strong free-ish outing from a veteran quintet, doesn’t break much new ground but shows that adventurous music is still valued in Chicago. It’s led by Christoper Dammann, who has played with Edward Wilkerson Jr. and Brian Sandstrom among others, and who composed all the selections. He’s matched with trumpeter James Davis who plays in groups with Matt Ulery  among others; pianist Jim Baker part of the long-running Extraordinary Popular Delusions band; drummer Mike Reed, who has played with everyone from Wadada Leo Smith to Tomeka Reid; and a newer Windy City resident, Jon Irabagon,  who has worked with numerous improvisers in North America and Europe, here playing stritch.

Considering the stritch is really a non-curved alto saxophone, the overall sound isn’t that different from straight-ahead hard bop sessions, although contemporary motifs from Davis’ electronics, Irabagon’s effects and Baker’s use of the analog synthesizer confirm 21^st Century locus. Still the effects aren’t used to excess, with the focus usually on trumpet runs, piano comping, reed swoops, drum rumbles and thick bass thumps.

Occasionally, as on “White Gladis”, Dammann alternates between abrasive arco rubs and a walking bass line, but this only adds weight to the call-and-response of brass triplets and reed slurs. Oscillated keyboard burbles and processed trumpet growls distinguish “Untitled” from the other numbers, but despite the start-stop form, perpendicular extensions from Irabagaon and Damann maintain linear flow.

If there are drawbacks in the disc it’s from the recording process. Introduction are frequently much louder than the subsequent expositions and the are points at which stritch timbres especially are only heard in the distance.

Overall though Dammann and company turn what he calls Dead Words into living music.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Montrose B. 2. Untitled 3. White Gladis 4. Two Themes For Improvisation 5. This is an Unravelling

Personnel: James Davis (trumpet, electronics); Jon Irabagon (stritch, effects); Jim Baker (piano, ARP 2600); Christopher Dammann (bass) and Mike Reed (drums)