What You May Call It

Skirting the edge of atonality, but too astute to abandon cadence, intervals and flow, the appropriately named What You May Call It quartet uses a variety of oscillations and instruments to animate a thoroughly 21^st century sound variant. Part of the iteration draws on the band’s collective experience. Drummer Charles Downs is known for his work with Cecil Taylor and Jemeel Moondoc among others. Chris Kelsey has played saxophone with the likes of Lou Grassi and Steve Swell; Rose Tang, who contributes guitar, piano, percussion and vocals, has been associated with Patrick Golden and Daniel Cartetr; while Steve Holtje who moves among trombone, piano electric keyboard and vocals is affiliated with many ensembles and manages the ESP label.

The peak expression of the band is the reverse titled “Itch My Scratch”. As the players cycle through the piece it becomes darker and more percussive as skittish saxophone trills and a lowing trombone burr intersect with cymbal slaps, drum shuffles and throat murmurs. As reed split tones and brass burps express yearning textures they contrast with dial-twisting guitar flanges. Eventually after Tang’s ululating vocals splinter into higher-pitched broken syllables and noises, descending portamento trombone tones and ascending reed phrases give way to a grounding drum pressure.

Variations of this multifaceted approach illuminate the other tracks as well. Swathes of organ-pitch tremors intersect with split tone reed squeezes or note-bending horn expositions arise alongside wavering vocalized yells and yelps. Even when a moderated piano riff is heard, the sequence doesn’t stay linear. Ultimately a cymbal crack among the miasma of electronic fizz indicates a reordering of the contrapuntal cleavage between occasional keyboard and percussion stasis and vocal and horn intersection, climaxing with a synthesized drone.

Further adaptations of these profound but unexpected pivots are heard within greater or briefer sections. But the key to the adaptability of the quartet is how no one auditory impression overshadows any of the others. Multi-instrumentation contrasts preserve equanimity. So among Tang’s vocal yelps and expostulation, electronic impulses from piano and guitar, acoustic freneticism or compliance, stentorian percussion splatters and the saxophonist’s focused lyrical or aggressive twitters, no one timbres stays dominant for very long.

Da Qi’s instrumentation narratives may seem unusual. But by avoiding the ordinary the session becomes an authentic, audacious and alluring statement.

–Kem Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Phil’s Instant Dystopia 2. Reverie 3. Itch My Scratch 4. Da Qi

Personnel: Steve Holtje (trombone, piano electric keyboard, vocals); Chris Kelsey (soprano and tenor saxophones, stritch); Rose Tang (guitar, piano, small percussion, vocals); and Charles Downs (drums).