PNY Quintet

Arguably the perfect definition of FreeBop, this well-balanced quintet session combines the talents of two horn playing American sound innovators and their France-based homologues. Throughout the dozen tunes composed or group composed by the band members, the rhythmic intensity of Bop is coupled with the improvisational flexibility associated with Free Jazz.

The reason why France-based is stressed for identification is because bassist Peter Giron and drummer John Betsch are expatriate Americans, who have worked with among others Steve Lacy and Michel Edelin. l Edelin, the veteran flautist, who, who bring Gallic pedagogy to the session has played with everyone from Jean-Jacques Avenel to Hamid Drake. The Yanks who came to France to record are trombonist Steve Swell and alto saxophonist Rob Brown, known for associations with many New York creative musicians.

Sonic rapport and resilience are upfront during most of the tunes, which often glide along with Giron’s spot on walking bass tempos and Betsch’s rhythmic coloration. Reflecting those 1950s-1960s sessions where every player had a feature solo, the mostly mid-length tunes provide ample space for Swell to project speedy triplets or scooping slurs; Brown snarly scoops and irregular vibrations; and Edelin lithe but not delicate trills. As commonly though, compositions move horizontally with carefully stacked harmonies, rippling trombone bursts on the bottom; smeary saxophone tones in the middle; and bright transverse flute spurts on top. As three-part wide brush strokes or singular pinpointed emulsions the three contribute composite shading to the individual sound canvas that makes up each track.

While the majority of tunes amble along with a compendium of vibrations and decorations, the drummer’s ruffs and paradiddles and the bassist’s shifting pulse preclude lapses into simple bounciness. So do those time when Swell unleashes harsh triplets or Brown’s turns his reed playing to oboe-like nasality.

Two tracks in particular demonstrate the band’s interpretive expanse. Reflecting its title, “New Orleans”  include marching band cymbals crashes and plunger gutbucket trombone tones, mated with bright flute whorls, reed puffs and a stop-time ending. Meanwhile the title track is the most discordant. Linking brass growls, dissected reed notes and drum slaps and string vibrations creating an irregular pulse, it’s avant-garde without being atonal.

Considering Brown and Swell ply their trade on a different continent than the other three players, this effort may be their only recorded meeting. Still it would be a pity if this partnership doesn’t have an encore.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Dances with Questions 2. Hop, Skip and Jump 3. Dawn 4. Chance Upon5. Nexus 6. Fauns and Wizards 7. New Orleans 8. Over the Wall 9. Round Trip 10. Prévert is Now 11. For Frank Lowe 12. Dusk

Personnel: Steve Swell (trombone); Rob Brown (alto saxophone); Michel Edelin (flutes); Peter Giron (bass) and John Betsch (drums)