Samo Šalamon & Ra Kalam Bob Moses Orchestra

Following more than a couple of decades demonstrating his string smarts in mostly smaller configurations, Slovenian guitarist Samo Šalamon expands his partnership with veteran American drummer Ra Kalam Bob Moses to create this helping of free improv involving a total of 27 mostly US musicians. Šalamon, who has recorded with everyone from Szilard Mezei to John Hollenbeck, and Moses known for his early work with Gary Burton and more recently with Pedro Melo Alves, may be the names above the title, but this is no guitar, percussion and backing big band disc.

Instead the direction and arrangements favor the intersection of textures propelled by reed, strings and brass players with some electronics and keyboard enhancements. Additionally Moses’ rhythmic cadences are augmented by those from drummer Tim Daisy and Šalamon’s string dexterity is shadowed by the guitar prowess of in various combinations of Rez Abbasi, Jonathan Goldberger, Mike Baggett and Jerome Harris.

With tracks entitled “Drums Suite” and “Djembe Suite”, percussion is not downplayed. But on the nearly half-hour first piece, for instance, the drummers’ constant smacks, shakes, rattles and clanks are usually no more prominent than a slippery plunger ostinato created by Steve Swell and Jeb Bishop’s trombones and Tom Varner’s French horn grace notes plus moderated tone sweeps from the massed reeds players. Continuity is maintained by pianist Michael Cain’s allegro slides and stabs, and the throbbing polyphonic exposition also includes contrapuntal interjections from guitar frails, half-valve brass emphasis, squeaky reed laughs and some breathy bass clarinet slides from Ned Rothenberg.

Multiple drum beats, guitar strums and reed glissandi characterizes “Djembe Suite”. Yet again confirming the Šalamon/Moses plan, it’s as notable for the intersection of trumpeters Dave Ballou’s and Russ Johnson’s brassy triplets and portamento flutters than concentrated percussion syncopation. However while built from a bed of constant drum and small percussion backbeats the concluding “Freedom March Suite”, among the soaring grace notes and descending smears of brass and reeds, does offer a notable mid-track Abbasi-Salamon duet with one’s slurred finger chiming and twanging frails picked up and intensified by the other guitarist.

Dream Suites Vol. 1 balances flow and flexibility with studied sophistication, Vol. 2 should hopefully match these high standards.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing:  1. Drums Suite# 2. Djembe Suite* 3. Freedom March Suite&

Personnel: Dave Ballou, Russ Johnson* (trumpet); Curtis Hasselbring*&, Steve Swell#* (trombone); Jeb Bishop# (trombone, electronics); Tom Varner (French horn); Ben Goldberg (clarinet); Vinny Golia& (soprano, alto saxophones, clarinet); Ned Rothenberg (alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet); Dan Willis (tenor, soprano saxophones, alto flute, bass clarinet); Adam Kolker, Chet Doxas#* (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Andrew Rathbun (tenor saxophone); Rez Abbasi, Samo Salamon, Jonathan Goldberger# (guitar); Mike Baggetta#& (acoustic guitar); Jerome Harris& (lap steel guitar); Michael Cain# (piano); Steve Hunt (piano, synthesizer); Ernst Reijseger #& (cello); Matt Pavolka (electric, double bass); Chris Lightcap*, Elvind Opsvik#& (bass); Jimmy Haslip& (electric bass); Tim Daisy (drums); Ra Kalam Bob Moses (drums, percussion)