Cuong Vu Does More Good Things In Seattle: "Leaps of Faith"

Cuong Vu has reaped the benefits of a change in place since he moved to Seattle. At least so it seems from the evidence of yesterday's CD (see below) and now another today. This one is his 4-tet, Cuong on trumpet, two electric bassists--Stomu Takeishi and Luke Bergman--and Ted Poor on drums. The CD is titled Leaps of Faith (Origin 82585) and it's a very creative thing going on there. They use delay effects and lots of space. They take a wide open stance, with a bare tempo elaborated by Ted Poor, for example, some room for bass architecture, then envelopes of sound from Cuong and the basses, all geared toward (mostly) realizing very unusual versions of standards. It's electric, it has lots of room for Cuong Vu's considerable trumpet improvisational flare.

Electric Miles is somewhere around the last bend, lending his spiritual guidance. But they are trampling through the brush beyond him to create their own path. The two-bass idea works perfectly with both bottom and rich color possibilities realized with a flair.

It's a stunning album. Cuong Vu never sounded better. And it has a very individual approach. Nice!

Agogic with Cuong Vu, Andrew D'Angelo: Something Good Going On in Seattle

Things have been happening for Cuong Vu since he moved out to Seattle. One of them is Agogic (T & C 001). Maestro Vu's trumpet locks in with Andrew D'Angelo's serpentine alto and bass clarinet, and they are held buoyant by the boldly blistering bass and drums of Luke Bergman and Evan Woodle, respectively. Add some smart avant-funk writing and some very cool interactions and soloing from the front line, mix that up with the boldly assertive, pin-incision precision of the rhythm team and you have Agogic.

I am not being flip because what that something is is something. It's edgy and hip. impolite and brash, energized and iconoclastic. But all in a way that takes care to give you much more than anything close to standard operating procedure funk. This is NOT business as usual. That thanks to all concerned, who push into liftoff mode early on and continue to thrust upwards until orbit is achieved. It's a matter of good writing, good atmosphere, good soloing and good rhythm-team innovation throughout.

Strongly recommended then.