Aram Shelton Quartet, Everything for Somebody

There's a loose confederation of Chicago jazz performer-composers at work making exciting music these days in various combinations and altoist Aram Shelton is one of them, though he is Californian much of the time chronologically. He steps forward with a quartet offering (the second album with this lineup) on Everything for Somebody (Singlespeedmusic SSM-011).

It's a well-meshed, energized band of Aram, Keefe Jackson on tenor, Anton Hatwich, acoustic bass, and Tim Daisy on drums.

The music on a number of levels takes the legacy of the early Ornette quartets and puts it in an original place. The rhythm section swings with gusto, the Shelton compositions framework the band well and have a kind of mental staying power, and both he and Keefe solo with their own ears wide open.

It's one of those albums that gives me lots of joy to hear. And it combines old-new-thing and new-new-thing for maximum torque.

Give this one a hearing, by all means.

Mario Rechtern, Eric Zinman, Zorn

Saxophonist Mario Rechtern I have not heard that often. Eric Zinman I have. On Zorn (Improvising Beings ib07) they set sail into free territory in a series of duets dedicated to singer Linda Sharrock. Mario digs in with swirling and earthy soprano, alto and baritone; Eric responds with maelstroms of cascading piano.

This is music of the energy sort much of the time. It comes off sincerely, effectively and committedly. Rechtern has a sound and an energy level that one might describe as post-Ayler. There's a little of a vibrato and a wealth of overblown sounds and rapid passagework. Zinman has it covered with post-Taylor all-overness, an outness that is by no means easy to put forward on this high level.

Together they work some free-form magic. Will this win a Grammy any time soon? No. But of course music like this doesn't get consideration in those circles. Nonetheless there's plenty of good free blowing to be had here. Mario's baritone, especially, gets an edge that Eric responds to dynamically. But it all gets in your face in marvelous ways. Now I'd love to hear these two with a rhythm section.

Arts & Sciences, New You

From out of Oakland, California comes the ensemble Arts & Sciences and their CD New You (Singlespeed Music SSM-0010). It's eclectic and electric with keys (Michael Coleman) tenor sax and effects (Matt Nelson), alto sax and flute (Jacob Zimmerman) and drums (Jordan Glenn) comprising the ensemble.

This is composition-centered prog jazz. The press sheet cites Sun Ra, Tim Berne and the Curtains as influences, but one might also detect a sound that reminds a little of later Soft Machine as well as perhaps a little Zappa.

There are some nice odd-time-meter riffs, contrapuntal line weaving, freebop linings, a little of the heft of rock and overall a genuinely creative approach. It's less directed toward solo than ensemble, but that works given the ambitious compositional content.

This is seriously good music that's worth your time.

Zusaan Kali Fasteau (Kali. Z. Fasteau), Worlds Beyond Words, 1987-89

In our continuing look at Kali. Z. Fasteau's music we have today what appears to be the first CD release on her Flying Note label (9001), Worlds Beyond Words from 1987-89.

It is one of the finest of her albums from a solo perspective, she contributes very characteristic cosmic tones on sanza, soprano, vocals, piano, ney, shakuhachi, kaval, mizmar and berimbau.
She is most notably and effectively joined by the great Rashied Ali on drums, Bob Cunningham on contrabass, Elizabeth Panzer, harp, James C. Jamison, guitar, David Cornick, percussion, and Paul Leake on tabla. The group members come in and out as needed, with Kali being the primary focus.

Rashied sounds great, all members contribute effectively, but this is Kali in a more front-and-center context than is sometimes the case. She comes through with individuality, conviction and free, yet focused energy. And it presents a free-world ethos in the tradition of John Coltrane's and Don Cherry's pace-setting music. There are memorable moments throughout--beautifully atmospheric flute, Trane-dedicated soprano, nice piano spotlights and vocals that project well and open up a sound world to us.

If you want to know where Kali is musically, this may be the best place to begin. It's a goodie.

Chemical Clock EP

Chemical Clock is the name of the EP that fills the digital grooves of a recent Table and Chairs disk (004). It's electric (principally via the effects sometimes coming from Cameron Sharif's keys), avant, a little free and tightly packed with arranged barrages--in a manner one might dub post-prog jazz.

With Sharif are Ray Larsen, trumpet, who adds a distinctive personality to the sound, along with the rhythm team of Mark Hunter on bass and Evan WoodLe, drums. Together they make for a convincing ensemble.

There's plenty of well constructed music to be heard in the 20-something minutes playing time on offer here. It's not fluff, not commercial pap. It's serious about itself and with consistency comes through nicely.

Jeff Shurdut, Gene Janas, Marc Edwards, Bound and Gagged

Jeff Shurdut has been very profilic in the past decade or so, mingling and co-projecting with many of avant jazz's finest. This one, Bound and Gagged (Improvising Beings ib 11) with bassist Gene Janas and drummer Marc Edwards, is one of his most unusual and innovative.

What strikes you about the album on repeated listenings is how tightly sequenced it is. There is a great variety of musically out combinations, skronk guitar, contrabass, and thrashing drums, vocal outburst, sax and drums, drum soliloquies, bowed tones, and more, all coming at you in a rather exciting series of quickly moving segments. It has a bit of a punk attitude, something of the Flying Luttenbachers about it yet more devoted to the free zone.

Jeff is impressive on guitar and sax without sounding schooled, Gene has an all-over bass throb that fits perfectly and he gives us some nice moments of arco color too, and Marc's drumming is advanced and very impassioned.

It's a devilishly progressive free sort of program that's not out to impress you so much with how hot the players are as with what kind of sound-art they can pull together with spontaneity, depth and contrast. Whooo!

Jimmy Mulidore and His New York City Jazz Band, Featuring Richie Cole and Randy Brecker, DVD

Jimmy Mulidore, multi-reed man, presents his New York City Jazz Band (self-released) in a DVD of a lengthy live set.

Jimmy plays alto, tenor, soprano, flute, clarinet and bass clarinet with fluidity. He is joined by ringers Richie Cole on alto and Randy Brecker, trumpet, in an octet rounded out with good players.

It's a night of jazz and jazz-associated standards, from "Lush Life" to "A Love Supreme" and lots of blowing. Mulidore acquits himself in fine fashion. He's a bit more modern than Richie Cole, but he doesn't have as much of the fleet Bird-Woods bopping presence. Randy Brecker is in top form and makes this date especially worth hearing.

The sound is decent, visuals quite acceptable and the set digs in with live jazz of the long blowing sort. Nice to hear, even if it may not change jazz history.