Harper Trio: Dialogue Of Thoughts
Given the state of this world I guess we could use all the pleasant surprises we can get. In this case the surprise (on the positive side) goes way deeper than the merely pleasant as this is an album that maps out some relatively sparsely populated territory where neither spiritual matters nor the presence of a harp are sufficient to provoke lazy comparisons with Alice Coltrane.
The opening Quiet Mind sets out the album’s stall, being both reflective and shot through with a kind of muted unease. On soprano sax Josephine Davis seems to nod covertly to what might be called the now rather pervasive ECM manner, but the sense of unease assumes tones of intrigue as the piece progresses, not least because the music remains relatively static.
Along with Walk, Madness While Trying To Meditate embodies a more animated musical strain while at the same time not severing all ties with the overall ambience. It also highlights how, with judicious deployment, relatively sparse instrumentation can yield a rich musical picture, and in this instance both Maria-Christina Harper and Evan Jenkins weave a rhythmic tapestry which is made distinctive by the instruments involved.
Without being merely pretty in any sense, Ephemeral Now occupies relatively more conventional territory. A periodic backbeat punctuates proceedings in a manner which serves to keep the music earthbound, although such is the trio’s level of integration that it’s merely a piece in a far more engaging musical jigsaw.
In closing, Moving On takes the listener into a kind of becalmed wilderness which provokes thoughts of how all things must pass. Again the music’s of a minimal order and is for this listener enough to provoke thoughts of Harper tackling the compositions of Julius Eastman or Morton Feldman on record. Should this ever happen there’s an eager listener right here.
Discography
Quiet Mind; Walk; Ephemeral Now; Inner Thoughts; Dialogue Fusion Politics; Madness While Trying To Meditate; In Between Dreams; Sometime In Cairo; Moving On (Intro); Moving On (42.42)
Josephine Davis (ss, ts, v); Maria-Christina Harper (electro-acoustic harp, effects, v, comp); Evan Jenkins (d, v). Abbey Road Studios, Studio 3, London. No dates.
Little Yellow Moon Records LYM002CD
Billy Hart: Multidirectional
Here’s veteran drummer Billy Hart with a quartet that’s already on record, according to the rear of this CD’s sleeve. However, as far as I’m aware this is their first live album, and as far as I can hear it’s that setting which which takes their music to another level. Interaction and intuitive understanding seem to have been rendered that much deeper by playing in front of an audience.
It’s that understanding that perhaps ensures that the 12 and a half minutes of Mark Turner’s Sonnet For Stevie is purged of excess. Ethan Iverson’s solo is a model of both restraint and understatement, yet not for a moment is it short on intrigue and an attention to detail that catches the ear. A similar absence of sweeping gestures is true of Turner’s work, which is that of a musician with a high degree of appreciation for nuance. Hart and bass player Ben Street are on the case throughout and their contributions emphasise how the familiarity born of playing frequently together often produces music “known” yet not reduced to sterile routine.
Giant Steps is here essentially deconstructed, but only in a manner that highlights its depth and the degree to which it can be creatively reconstructed. Iverson’s lengthy intro exemplifies that reconstruction. Turner takes up the challenge and in so doing stakes his own claim as a rebuilder. Again Hart and Street are alert to what’s happening, exemplifying the thrill of music happening very much in the moment.
Discography
Song For Balkis; Giant Steps; Sonnet For Stevie; Amethyst; Showdown (47.06)
Mark Turner (ts); Ethan Iverson (p); Ben Street (b); Hart (d). Smoke Jazz Club, New York City, 7-10 December 2023.
Smoke Sessions Records SSR-2505
Mark Sherman: Bop Contest
This is both vibraphonist Sherman’s 22nd album and another recording under the belt for Ron Carter. Given the extent of the latter’s discography, this album simply reiterates long-established values yet again. In short, the clue’s in the title, despite the fact that there’s little competition going on. The opening 111-44 makes the point. It’s clear from the off that Sherman knows the vibraphone inside out, and his work is that of a musician to whom swinging comes naturally, albeit with but a fraction of the joy of life that Milt Jackson conveyed.
Brassman Joe Magnarelli only appears on Love Always Always Love and the title track. This is a shame because his measured contributions, arguably redolent as they are of Jon Eardley, bring an extra dimension to a group performance which otherwise veers close to the polite and urbane across the entire album. Love is graceful and lightly marked by a kind of wistfulness, and Bop Contest lives up to the title, thanks in no small part to the leader’s sleek lines and Magnarelli’s mildly declarative solo.
In an album that doesn’t break the 40-minute mark, no individual performance tops seven minutes. While duration isn’t guaranteed to result in musical substance, on this occasion the lack of it results in performances the good manners of which leave an odd feeling, as though everyone had an eye on the clock for no obvious reason. In an area of the music that by now is covered to the point of saturation this diminishes the impact considerably.
Discography
111-44; Love Always Always Love; Bremond’s Blues; My One And Only Love; Bop Contest; Martha’s Prize; Skylark (36.51)
Joe Magnarelli (t, flh); Donald Vega (p); Sherman (vib) Ron Carter (b); Carl Allen (d). Van Gelder Recording Studios, Englewood, New Jersey, 28 February 2025.
Miles High Records MHR 8638
