Sextet

Jessica Jones Quartet
Edible Flowers
Reva Records RR-1004

Unlike the feuding couple of Kool & The Gang’s “Jones vs Jones” no rancor seems to exist between dual New York-based tenor saxophonists Jessica Jones and Tony Jones. However after years of playing together in groups led by Cecil Taylor, Peter Apfelbaum and others each is assured of his and her skill. But competence doesn’t mean complacency and these discs with varied associates show different sides of the duo’s work.

A live date with bassist Stomu Takeishi and drummer Deszon Claiborne, Edible Flowers preserves a 36-minute set of standards and originals with the two reprising the traditional two tenors role à la Johnny Griffin-Eddie Lockjaw Davis and others. More ambitious, Pitch, Rhythm and Consciousness is a musical meditation on spiritual consciousness where both are part of the eponymously named Sextet joined by violinist Charlie Burnham, cellist Marika Hughes bassist Rashaan Carter and drummer Kenny Wollesen. With the 12 tracks shifting between compositions and improvisations one of the defining motif is the half-sung, half recited vocals by Burnham, known for his tenures in the String Trio of New York and Steven Bernstein’s Millennial Territory Orchestra.

A compendium of reed flutters, crisscross saxophone lines and the occasional snort and yelp, Edible Flowers is a well-played but scarcely adventurous set of mainstream themes. Ably seconded by Takeishi’s  dedicated thumps and Claiborne ‘s rolls and pumps, the saxophonists’ tones reflect different tinctures of andante color. Often one projects improvisations with mid-range clarion trills, while the other descends to scoops and honks.

There are some fine balanced moments in the jointly penned” No Relation/Just Us” and a confluence of restraint and rattles on Jessica Jones’ funky “Higher Than”, but the most  concentrated inspiration appears on Tony Jones’ arrangement of Jackie McLean’s “Little Melonae”. Created with a stop-time exposition as one sax soars upwards and the other downwards, energetic reed snarls are pushed by string thumps and drum pops and the tune’s conclusion is a striking tandem head recap.

A longtime project of fellow Buddhists Tony Jones and Burnham, the idea behind Pitch, Rhythm and Consciousness is to express spiritual awareness reflected by inspiration from multiple religious traditions. The change in adaptation can be noted as the disc begins with Burnham  croaking a version of “I Shall Not Want” from the standard Christian bible and ends with “Prepare a Refuge” with verses recited from Buddhist spiritual teachings.

The first tune is replete with squeaky fiddle notes, swelling horn vamps and a contrapuntal response from the cellist, while the latter’s arrangement is more elaborate. Slinking along with sul tasto strokes, the symmetry of “Prepare a Refuge” involves interspacing such phrases as “birth after birth unwind for those who do not know the truth” and “prepare a refuge for yourself and work hard” so that “you need never return to cycle of birth after death” with emphasized drum backbeats, strained string slides, double bass string resonation, some sax honks and a climax of the violinist’s spiccato stops and slides.

In between there are as many sounds explored as there are religious faiths. Tunes like “Psalm for a Shared Tomorrow” and “Trouble” could have been on the quartet disc. The first begins with kettledrum-like reverberations, saxophone whines and ascending violin strokes until a drum rumble presages a reconfiguration to a bouncy and lightened theme pushed by intense fiddling and harmonized saxophone lines. “Trouble” mixes press rolls, a walking bass line and twanging from the strings setting up a curvaceous bass solo and torqued violin plinking as the cello maintains the theme continuum.

Other pieces feature vocals framed by saxophone obbligatos, pizzicato fiddle licks that refence banjo twangs, harmonized or contrapuntal string passages, tambourine-like shakes and times cello and reed tones seem identical.

Robust intensity and some tentative movements towards dissidence are expressed on “Running in the Darkness” and “Whose Tears Are These”. The first amplifies crossing reed peeps and squeaking and slicing string antiphony The latter has enough space to contrast harmonized reeds and chirping strings, with additional clanks and clips from Burnham’s fiddle  even as the saxophone lines remain horizontal.

All this is done without the sextet ever breaking linear momentum, a trait which ties together both discs. The sextet one may be a little more adventurous. Nonetheless neither group should frighten listeners who stay away from difficult sounds and not alienate those whose tastes are nor exploratory.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Edible: 1. Manhattan 2. Bird’s Word 3. No Relation/Just 4. Little Melonae 5. Higher Than 6. Soft Target

Personnel: Edible: Jessica Jones, Tony Jones (tenor saxophones); Stomu Takeishi (bass) and Deszon Claiborne (drums)

Track Listing: 1. I Shall Not Want 2. The Beginning of the Universe 3. Tiny Little Inkling 4. Kush 5. Fundamental Blue 6. Trouble 7. Running in the Darkness 8. Whose Tears Are These 9. This Herein Goes Nowhere 10. Psalm for a Shared Tomorrow 11. Shadow Box12. Prepare a Refuge

Personnel: Jessica Jones, Tony Jones (tenor saxophones); Charlie Burnham (violin); Marika Hughes (cello); Rashaan Carter (bass) and Kenny Wollesen (drums and percussion)