Roscoe Mitchell-Michele Rabbia

Still seeking out and meeting new challenges, American multi-reedist Roscoe Mitchell, 85, constantly changes circumstances and configurations. In 2 finds Mitchell, best known for his Art Ensemble of Chicago membership, trading ideas with Italian percussionist Michele Rabbia, who was one year old when the saxophonist’s first LP was recorded in 1966. Since that time the drummer has collaborated with numerous dancers, writers and visual artists as well as musicians such as Gianluca Petrella and Régis Huby.

Perceptions from these dual sound producers means the disc’s seven instant compositions provide an adept confluence to stack up timbres from Mitchell’s sopranino and bass saxophones and percussion as well as Rabbia’s percussion and electronics.

Although less voltage-focused, the electronic wave forms commonly hum and murmur in the background, with idiophone strokes and reed affiliations upfront. Since saxophone expression encompass tugboat whistle-like lowing snorts and dissected split tone bites, the percussionist cannily varies his side of the equation emphasizing resonating drum pops and smashes, wooden rattles and shakes, and singular clicks that could come from a xylophone or kalimba. At the same time not all the percussion textures are Rabbia’s. Clanking, circular metallic clangs are reminiscent of  Mitchell’s experiments with a percussion cage so some of the bell and gong echoes may come from him.

Among these stop-time and broken octave expositions some stand outs. “Interaction” for instance has drum rumbles and rattles getting louder in tandem with the saxophonist’s segue from bass sax lowing to sopranino peeps as extended pressure intensifies. More jagged and malleable, the narrative driving “First Impression” speeds up and thins out as reed barks come up against resonating drum throbs. Extra reflux forced through the saxophone’s body tube without key movement adds to the forward moving aggression as idiophone smacks and tongue stops unite for a disjointed but defining ending.

With his recording career heading into its seventh decade Mitchell has worked with many inventive, even revolutionary percussionists including Vincent Davis, Famoudou Don Moye and William Winant. In 2 shows he’s in sync with another. Hopefully more Mitchell- Rabbia sound investigations will be initiated.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. A Day in the Forest 2. Interaction 3. Low Answer 4. In 2 5. A Night in the Forest 6. First Impression 7. Polyndrome

Personnel: Roscoe Mitchell (sopranino and bass saxophones and percussion) and Michele Rabbia (percussion and electronics)