David Mott's Latest and Best Unaccompanied Baritone Set "Dragonhorn"

David Mott, baritone sax. Up there in Canada. A real player. He's had one or two solo baritone recordings out. They are very good. The new one, Dragonhorn (MAE 013), I think is his very best.

With David's solo work, there is virtually always an energy component, motor repetition, sound color and structured improvisational ideas. What's generally true of his playing is particularly evident on this one.

He sometimes circular breathes while articulating particular repeating note patterns (a little bit inspired by late-period Trane), letting the embouchure and differences in blowing strength allow the horn to shift back and forth between registers and sometimes catch that space between the two registers where you get harmonics and overtone change. Roscoe Mitchell does that sometimes on his soprano or alto too, but David does not sound like him, partially because it's the baritone with its expanded space between registers where you can get more cross-talk and because David sounds and phrases differently. In any case you get a full disk of Maestro Mott exploring melodic ideas and the baritone horn, and it's quite well done. Zen baritone? Yes.

Very much recommended.