Shifa

Olie Brice Quartet
All It Was
West Hill Records WHR 005

Part of the group of young veterans who exemplify the continuing strength and innovation of UK-based improvisators, Welsh tenor saxophonist Rachel Musson excels in both the Free Jazz and the Free Music parts of that equation. That may  appear like hair – or more appropriately timbre – splitting  but the subtle distinctions are necessary for appropriate interpretations – and appreciation.

Coming from the Free Jazz as well as the Jazz side of the continuum are bassist Olie Brice’s six compositions on All It Was. Besides the bassist, the quartet comprises pianist Alexander Hawkins and drummer Will Glaser. All have worked with players across the creative music spectrum including Sam Eastmond, Louis Moholo-Moholo and Cath Robert. Consisting of one nearly 46-minute track of FreeImprov, Ecliptic  is from the Shifa trio, one of Musson’s regular gigs, with the band filled out by experienced players, drummer Mark Sanders, who has also recorded with Brice and pianist Pat Thomas, who has played with everyone from Evan Parker to William Parker.

As drums rumbles and inner piano string reverb glance off every surface from the instrument’s hammers, plate and soundboard, Musson steps forward on Ecliptic with a barrage of bites, split tones and honks, often repeating phrases for maximum aggression. Still no matter how many freak notes, tongue slaps and widening slurs the saxophonist introduces, Thomas is there with answering or assertive patterns that bounce, pound and shake sympathetically. Meanwhile unperturbed Sanders bridges the sax-piano gaps with cymbal clips and bass drum pressure.

The exposition become even more discordant following a slight pause at the one quarter mark with Sanders scraping and slapping his drum sides and tops as Musson dissects extended squeals and thickened honks and spears passing reed tones. Thomas is soon hitting the keys with as much concentrated power as Musson exhibits with her sandpaper-like abrasive growls and gargles. Meanwhile Sanders’ press rolls are also enhanced with vigorous stick rubs across Mylar tops. As the final sequence descends in pace and pressure, Thomas manages to interject a layer of steadiness with measured rhythmic pressure and keyboard clank although Sanders gong and cymbal pealing become more prominent. Still the saxophonist asserts her audacious creativity with a dog-whistle pitched bark that cuts through the combined concluding piano/ drum affiliation.

More attuned to tight story-telling than technical stimulus, All It Was begins with “Listening intently to Raptors”, dedication. to fellow bassist John Lindberg. A walking groove piece, Hawkins come up with modernist cadenzas for theme elaboration while Musson disturbs the straight-ahead narrative with overblowing and throated screams. Subtle, yet speedy up-and-down bass string vibrations bridge the variables however so that reed flutters and squeaks are implanted within the narrative.

Brice’s combination of hard and heavy string strums and energized glissandi continue to sew together the band members disparate contributions, with Hawkins’ comping and Glaser’s drum slaps and shuffles respectfully seconding double bass textures. Whether the originals have a faint Latin tinge, reflect classic Jazz standards or craftily meld multiple influences the concept works. Furthermore even at her most obstreperous, Musson’s reed interjections help intersect and extend the tunes in an original manner.

“Morning Mourning (for Tosh Brice)”, a respectful and reflective threnody for the bassist’s late father demonstrate that the individualized sound extensions don’t have to be played speedily to make an impression. Still, Musson’s slightly nasal and biting split tones genuinely add a more acerbic tone too the balladic textures propelled by fluid piano patterning and Brice’s reflective low-pitched emphasis.

Instances of how Musson’s different but complementary reed methods can blend with the sounds and ideas of other accomplished musicians, each CD shows off these groups at their best.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Ecliptic: 1. Ecliptic

Personnel: Ecliptic: Rachel Musson (tenor saxophone); Pat Thomas (piano) and Mark Sanders (drums and percussion)

Track Listing: All: 1. Listening intently to Raptors 2. After A Break 3. Morning Mourning (for Tosh Brice) 4. Happy Song for Joni 5. A Rush of Memory Was All it Was 6. And We Dance on the Firm Earth

Personnel: All: Rachel Musson (tenor saxophone); Alexander Hawkins (piano); Olie Brice (bass) and Will Glaser (drums)