Some of the most exciting gigs that I attended in the 90s involved drummer Jim Black. Whether he played with Tim Berne’s Bloodcount, Ellery Eskelin’s trio with Andrea Parkins or Dave Douglas’s Tiny Bell Trio, his explosive and unpredictable rhythms and the shifting at will between complex polyrhythmic jazz, post-rock power and four-square hip-hop beats invariably knocked me sideways. He’s now based in Europe and teaching at Bern University of the Arts, and this 2023 encounter in the city with Japanese trumpeter Natsuki Tamura magically rekindles the spirit of those Downtown years.
Tamura is less well known to me, though I’ve admired his work in wife Satoko Fujii’s group Kaze and his quartet Gato Libre. His growling style is in many respects a throwback to Herb Robertson, Paul Smoker and the younger Dave Douglas, and it’s certainly no coincidence that Tamura and Black have played together many times since the 90s. The very open nature of this duo exchange brings out the best in both, with ample time and space to lob unexpected curveballs and foment a constant state of unpredictably.
The first six pieces were composed by Tamura and the last three are improvised, each title suggesting a view of a particular aspect of city life. The opening Morning City is bright and bustling, Tamura’s bell-like tone rising above Black’s busy clatter, while the sun-drenched Afternoon City is full of drama and has an exhilarating chase sequence, Tamura’s muted effects evoking Cootie Williams. City Of Night begins with a series of expressive solo exchanges before branching out into abstract lyricism, Quiet City and Noisy City have Black toying with rockier beats, and of the three improvs the spacious Calm City is particularly strong.
Joyously free-spirited and generous to the last, NatJim is the essence of great improvised music.
Discography
Morning City; Afternoon City; City Of Dusk; City Of Night; Quiet City; Noisy City; Calm City; Bright City; Bonus (47.06)
Tamura (t, v); Black (d). Bern, November 2023.
Libra Records 102-074
