Roberto Ottaviano/Alexander Hawkins

A certain amount of guts — or nerve — is needed to take on a selection from Charles Mingus’ oeuvre with just a soprano saxophone and keyboards. But Italian saxophonist Roberto Ottaviano and UK pianist Alexander Hawkins have done so. Not that either have ever shirked from a challenge, with Hawkins playing with the likes of Louis Moholo-Moholo and Ottaviano working with innovators like Andrea Centazzo. But Mingus, who never recorded with anything smaller than a trio, also specialized in unique arrangements, with the shadings from multiple instruments leading to variants of tempo and pitch.

So how do Ottaviano/Hawkins fare? Quite well in conveying the shapes and lines of 11 of Mingus’ now classic compositions. Still, for every stretch of curlicue reed textures or reed bites heard, the saxophonist often shaves the rough edges off the Mingus tunes and at times threatens to emphasize smoothness over split tones and expositions over emotions. Especially unaccompanied Ottaviano’s conception appears to be chamber music Mingus. The duos are rawer h0wever. For instance “Remember Rockfeller At Attica” (sic) gets all of its spacious grit from the piano comping, as the saxophonist stretches out the melody with puffs and glissandi that are more delicate than dissident. Meanwhile a tune like “Smooch A.K.A Weird Nightmare” seems to emphasize both titles. The ending finds reed decoration in the form of a thinning cadenza, whereas the piece begins with music-box-like tinkles from the electric piano mated with sax peeps and splinters. The nightmare part emphasized in the centre section with keyboard strumming and horizontal reed split tones.

More generic are pieces where Mingus’ Blues, gospel and bop influences are emphasized. Hard key clanks and dynamics provide energy, while trilling reed squeaks and intense vibrations extend the lines. Most notable is the pedal-point texture building from Hawkins on “Dizzy Moods”, whose slippery Bop harmony is intensified with descending reed squeezes; and “Haitian Fight Song”. On the latter , gospel-like electric piano riffs reharmonize the familiar theme until the saxophonist reveals it. Further sympathetic chording creates the proper backing for gritty high-pitched trills.

A noble effort to present a new version of Mingus from two accomplished players. Yet the further they get from softening Mingus tunes, the better the sounds.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Canon 2. Hobo Ho 3. Remember Rockfeller At Attica 4. Oh Lord, Don’t Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb On Me 5. Dizzy Moods 6. Smooch A.K.A Weird Nightmare 7. Pithecanthropus Erectus 8. Free Cell, Block F Tis Nazi U.S.A. 9. Self Portrait In Three Colors 10. Haitian Fight Song 11. Us Is Two

Personnel: Roberto Ottaviano (soprano saxophone) and Alexander Hawkins (piano, electric piano)