James Brandon Lewis Quartet

Perelman/Shipp/Parker/Kapp
Synesthesia
defklaz records fk030

Someone seeking the difference between Free Jazz and Jazz that is played freely might turn to these quartet sessions led by a tenor saxophonist. While the separation may seem hair splitting – or maybe reed shaving – carful listening reveals a profound split. Brazilian tenor saxophonist  Ivo Pereleman and his American associates, pianist Matthew Shipp, bassist William Parker and drummer Bobby Kapp are pure improvisation veterans. That means Synesthesia’s five lengthy are based as much on passion ads precision. Creative music that starts and ends somewhat unexpectedly.

Meanwhile American tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis as well as fellow Americans bassist Bred Jones and drummer Chad Taylor as well as Cuban pianist Aruán Ortiz bring a similar level of emotion and expertise to Omni’s mostly shorter tracks. But the Lewis-composed pieces have a definite thought-out shape and sensibility. While intensity suffused sensibility means the playing is as exciting as on the other disc, there’s no thought that these aren’t songs, rather than one stop in an infinite expressive journey.

With rumbles and rat tat tats from Kapp, whose Free Jazz credentials go back to the early 1970s, Synesthesia is launched, with the drummer soon spelled by descending piano pounding and altissimo cries and multiphonics from Perelman turned to triple tonguing in tandem with Shipp’s keyboard stretches. Quartet members often work together when not involved in other projects. So it’s not unexpected for a track like “Blue Taste” to be introduced by Parker’s thick bass string pumps. Besides maintaining a consistent pulse here and on other tracks and thus linearity, his long-time partnership with Shipp in bands like David S Ware’s is advanced as the two evolve together. That means Parker’s skill toughens Shipp’s output as the pianist scoots from processional chording and pedal point pressure upwards to slippery treble note emphasis and single note interludes. Diffuse identities also characterize “Blue Taste” when the saxophonist’s initial spastic and shaking split tones settle into a breathy tête-à-tête with rugged keyboard pressure. This follows the saxophonist’s earlier emphasis on high pitched whistles and a series of reed squeaks.

Perelman’s seeming infinite collection of tropes and transitions has its greatest scope on the final and extended “One Sense”. With bass string walks, percussion shuffles and inner piano rumbles the piece slowly takes shape as the saxophonist unfurls individual peeps and beeps that speed up to shaking and wavering tangents of irregular timbres, split tone shakes and note-bending affiliations, Almost at the one-quarter mark, his reed sparing almost reaches Bop inflections, with corresponding mainstream comping from Shipp. Confirming that intense extemporization leaves space for a variety of influences even as the saxophonist’s sound creation plot skyward and fragmented, sequences of swing and even simple nursery rhymes alternate with whiny squalls and tongue stops from the saxophonist. Eventually a chugging bass line, drum rebounds and warm piano projections combine when elevated reed motifs descend to mid range to complete the connection.

If the Synesthesia four make brief allusions to other musics on their discs, then the omnivores on Omni devote entire tracks to what all intents and purposes are Blues and gospel contrafacts. For instance “Call to Worship” undulates on top of a thick woody bass line, cymbal swishes and pounding kettle drum like echoes as Lewis introduces the magisterial theme before moving to speaking in tongues shaking squeezes and harsh reflux. Reflective piano chording maintain the linear exposition despite contrapuntal arco string buzzes before the offering reaches an expressive climax. The title of “Testify” may sound equally church-like, but the narrative is directed more towards soul music than soul ministry. Featuring a hard drum backbeat, the saxophonist’s reed squeezes, repeat shrieks and renal scoops as well as Ortiz’s keyboard runs sound like a compromise between the soul visions of Brother Joe May and Brother Jack McDuff.

Less earthy and ecclesiastical than these most of the other compositions are comprehensive variants of judicious improvised music where disparate modifications add to evolution, but with enough control to preserve horizontal equity. These range from short forceful tracks built around a single instrument designed to demonstrate what Lewis calls 12-tone gospel to mote extended tone poems.

Fittingly considering Lewis’ background the “Spirit of the Living God” is the most protracted track as the saxophonist moves from whiny split tones and doits to story-telling motifs alternating between tonal reed sentences and  twisted breaths, pressurized smears and bursts of irregularly shaped timbres. This boomerang from straight ahead to splintered is aided by a barely there double bass pulse, swift keyboard movements and drum pitter patter.

Overall, this shift among dark and light, sacred and the profane is best expressed on the concluding “Omnipresent”. With a near-pastoral mid range intro as the piano intersects with braised cymbal color and reflective string stops, the saxophonist’s initial gentle breaths move to tonguing pops, tonal fragments and near screams. This happens without disrupting forward motion and is concluded as widened reed shakes and precise smoothness vie for supremacy.

Equal exhibitions of quartet musical pre-eminence are heard on each of these discs. The definition of improvisation definitions comes as a bonus.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Synesthesia: 1. First Colour Heard 2. Phosphene 3. Blue Taste 4. Afterglow 5. One Sense

Personnel: Synesthesia: Ivo Perelman (tenor saxophone); Matthew Shipp (piano); William Parker (bass) and Bobby Kapp (drums)

Track Listing: Omni: 1. Omnipotent 2. The Sermon 3. Fire Iin my Bones 4. Testify 5. Omniscient 6. Call to Worship 7. Line Upon Line 8. Spirit of the Living God 9. Omnipresent

Personnel: Omni: James Brandon Lewis (tenor saxophone); Aruán Ortiz (piano); Brad Jones (bass) and Chad Taylor (drums)