Search - Doug Hammond :: Spaces

Projects led by drummers frequently are a little heavy on drums, but Doug Hammond, a pioneer of the M-Base project in New York City in the early 1980s, manages to write for the band, not just the kit. Steve Coleman, here, in 1982, well on the way to developing his tearing but wholly tuneful approach to the alto sax, is most impressive. He is not yet near his most dazzling, but he creates meandering, dizzying lines that delve into Hammond's compositions. Altoist Byard Lancaster plays less nimbly and more tartly than Coleman, yet is still effective. He occasionally adds pleasant, fluttering, liquid flute. Pianist Kirk Lightsey's ideas outstrip his technique--not the worst failing, to be sure. The music at times bogs down, but Muneer Abdul Fataah's rich cello often saves the day. A spoken-word piece by Hammond doesn't really work. The disc, though a document of a moment in time, occasionally flies. If at times Hammond's group sound recalls that of bassist Dave Holland, it's for good reason. Holland's recorded several Hammond pieces, especially on The Razor's Edge and Seeds of Time. --Peter Monaghan