Valley Voice

Uli Kempendorff’s Field
Who are You Sending This Time
Unit Records UTR 5236

Abiding examples of close-knit contemporary Jazz, these quartets – one from Canada and the other from Germany –don’t stray too far from the expected. Instead each expresses identity by substituting a vibraphone instead of the usual piano in groups that otherwise feature bass, drums and saxophone.  Arguably the only Doukhobour-raised musicians to turn to Jazz, Valley Voice’s tenor saxophonist and leader Harrison Argatoff has played with the likes of Mike Murley. He’s now based in the Toronto area as are the other band members, bassist Dan Fortin, drummer Ian Wright and vibist Michael Davidson, who collectively have worked with players such as David Occhipinti, Alex Goodman and Kellylee Evans.

Meanwhile Field’s leader, clarinetist/tenor saxophonist Uli Kempendorff, and its vibes player Christopher Dell are German, while drummer Peter Bruun and bassist Jonas Westergaard are Danish. Among them the four have worked among many others with Ulrich Gumpert, Christian Lillinger, Oliver Steidle and Ronny Graupe.

Aiming to add luminous and rural inferences to his eight compositions, Argatoff is astute enough to not let the folkloric memories overcome the improvisational essence. In fact lead off track “Wishlow” sets the tone as tinctures of harmony and gentleness are balanced with tougher timbres. In a procedure often followed throughout, drum shuffles and string pop stay in the background as a variant of antiphony, while metal bar resonations underline the reed output puffs and  pops, snorts and shakes are traded during tune evolution.

While the majority of themes are lilting, that doesn’t means that slower-paced interludes aren’t handled as well. The disc’s concluding title tune for instance stays linear, but moves at a lento pace as a shower of vibe pops and saxophone slurs constantly move south.

Otherwise the usual default is some variation of widening vibraphone accents, evolving in lockstep or counterpoint with the saxophonist’s subtle emphasis or a turn around when curlicue tonal twists and triple tonguing are exposed. Sometimes as on “As Though I Knew”, this sequence even takes place within a single tune. Oddly enough the most overtly unhurried introduction occurs on “Tim Rain” where Davidson’s and Argatoff’s textures seem to revert to suggesting similar textures of an earlier generation. It’s as if Milt Jackson and Paul Desmond (!) were stating the head. Luckily double bass stops and cymbal claps help intensify the narrative so that more contemporary reed note slurs and vibe reverb echoing in the air bring the piece up to date. From then on the piece slides upwards in pitch and tempo.

Even though Who are You Sending This Time chooses to start and end its quartet variant with a literal “Dirge”, the general outline of its program is almost the same as on the other disc. The outline of thinning reed expression and vibe echoes on “Dirge” only picks up when Kempendorff’s bent notes and Dell’s emphasized plinks enter in the penultimate moments.

In the same way the most obvious turn away from Kempendorff’s compositions and the band’s interpretations are when the four tackle Mauricio Kagel’s “March No.2 from 10 Marches To Miss The Victory”. Here rolling vibe resonations and clarion reed slurs produce a quickened, swinging version of the contemporary notated piece.

Most of the time the other tracks impress with their swift and progressive moves among several complementary tempos without breaking up the composition’s flow. Westergaard’s quick and sometimes unexpected string pacing and Bruun’s press rolls and patterns keep the pieces buoyant for the most part. Meanwhile Dell’s skill allows him to create scene setting harmonies on a track like “Wartocracy” as well as pin-pointed and animated reverb. For his part the saxophonist not only projects ambulatory themes, but in sequences on tunes like “Sehr Nüchtern” and “Vernacular Counterpoint” goes beyond the expected textures with ever thinner peeps, undulating split tones and splintered growls.

Each quartet vigorously defines its individual identity. But with all loose ends tied up, it appears that there are opportunities for both to expand their base. Considering the Field CD was record in 2024 and Valley Voice’s back in 2022 that might already be taking place.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Stars: 1. Wishlow 2. Analemma 3. As Though I Knew 4. Please Hold 5. Sun Patch 6. Tim Rain 7. Shiver 8. Stars, Engines

Personnel: Stars: Harrison Argatoff (tenor saxophone); Michael Davidson (vibraphone); Dan Fortin (bass) and Ian Wright (drums)

Track Listing: Who: 1. Dirge 2. The Bronze Buckaroo 3. Sehr Nüchtern 4. A Ship A Week 5. March No.2 from 10 Marches To Miss The Victory 6. Wartocracy 7. Vernacular Counterpoint 8. Dirge Reprise

Personnel: Who: Uli Kempendorff (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Christopher Dell (vibraphone); Jonas Westergaard (bass) and Peter Bruun (drums)