...his own identity
Fred Karns | Rapidan, Va. | 12/01/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If it can be said of skillfully written prose, that it is lyrical, or, more often, of well-crafted lyric poetry, that it is musical, then, conversely, might it not also be said of certain music, that it is descriptive, or poetic? I think so, and I think the music on Dave Kane's `Grey Matters" is such music.
Listening to the performances in this collection is very much like eavesdropping on a conversation between four extremely knowledgeable friends, who are discussing and analyzing ideas that are about things that seem somehow familiar, but are , at the same time, brand new, until we realize that it is not so much the subject matter being discussed, but, rather, the perspectives of these four friends that makes the discussion seem to be about something we had not thought of or heard before. And, after listening for awhile, we realize that they are not having a private discussion, one which excludes us, the unseen listeners, but instead, they are talking to us, and inviting us into their conversation. It is for our benefit that they are having this discussion.
So much of the `serious jazz' currently being written and released seems to be so much the product of purely masturbatory fantasies, that one wonders why the composer and the musicians bother to release it at all, since it seems not to be intended for anyone's enjoyment or understanding except those who conceived and performed it-all sturm und drang. It would seem, that, perhaps, at least based on some of the recent jazz recordings I've listened to, that it might serve the artists who conceive this kind of `product', to not move beyond the conception stage. They could save themselves a lot of money, and the listeners a lot of angst, if they simply moved from idea to idea without leaving any tangible evidence of their conceptions. And God forbid that it should be able to be understood at any level other than a purely exclusive academic level, or from the standpoint of being so inside that it has no meaning whatsoever to anyone except those directly involved in its production. Wynton Marsalis tells us that, if the music doesn't reflect the African-American experience, it isn't jazz anyway. (I'm not sure; do they teach the African-American experience at Julliard?)
But why limit the potential for the broad appeal of a music that speaks from a diversity of experience and influence by affixing any specific label to it? It doesn't have to be called `jazz',or `post-bop', or anything, except, that is, `good'-or `great', or `just plain-old-a-pleasure-to-listen-to', and that is just what the pieces in this collection are. They are emotional, they are surprising, they are reflective, evocative, intelligent, humorous, and an absolute pleasure to listen to, over, and over again.
It is at this point that I must dispense with any attempt at objectivity in my remarks about `Grey Matters'. I have known three of these amazing musicians for a number of years, particularly Dave Kane. He and I have collaborated on many film score projects together, as well as having sat together in too many orchestra pits, looking at our watches, wondering if 11o'clock would ever come.
Now, what about the music and the playing on this CD? Well, first of all, the playing is remarkable in it cohesiveness, and in its respect for the ensemble. This kind of playing is not possible without each of the players having complete confidence in the others. Yet, at the same time, the indivduality of each of the musicians is clearly present. Nobody says anything unless they have something to say. There is no display of chops just for the sake of showing off, although everybody obviously brought their chops to this session. Clearly, there are lots of tools in the toolbox, but they are only used when they need to be used to get a specific job done. It takes a lot of confidence in one's abilities to participate in this kind of conversation. It also takes a lot of trust in the other players to pull this kind of music off. I can't imagine a group of musicians with more singleness of vision than these four demonstrate on these pieces.
Elegance is a word that comes easily to mind when describing the playing on this set. Although these pieces are all freshly written for this recording, they are all played as if they have been in the repertoire for years. That does not mean that these pieces are predictable or trite, but instead, it means that these guys know what they are doing, and they present these pieces in a way that makes them feel comfortable.
Mike Smith has been `the' jazz drummer for an awful lot of players for a very long time. He shows on this album, as he shows on everything he does, why he has that moniker. He listens, and he thinks, and he builds with complete originality on everything around him. He lets a soloist go anywhere he might venture, and he is always there waiting at the end. Mike is also a drummer who reminds us that a drum set, in the right hands, is an interpretive, and subtle musical instrument of many colors.
Drew Gress, who is himself a fine composer as well as one the best jazz soloists there is, is another `safety-net' player. He will let you do anything you want to try, and he will be there for you. You will not fall down with him standing beside you. His solos are constructed as one would expect from such a fine composer, building from the tiniest fragment to fully-formed compositions, with the most singing, beautiful tone of any bassist in the business. And, you can hear every single note and are convinced that each note is , not only necessary, but in its exact right place. Imagine that!
Dave Liebman is one of those players who is generally referred to as one `who needs no introduction'. If the practice of `no introduction' had been followed in all the cases where it has been applied, nobody would have ever heard of anybody, much less have been introduced to them. Dave Leibman should surprise none of us with his beautiful, lyrical sound, and the easy intelligence of his playing,but I think it's nice to be reminded of just what a pleasure it is to hear this particular guy who needs no introduction.
I have heard people compare Dave Kane's playing to Keith Jarrett or Herbie Hancock. It's a flattering comparison, certainly, but I think this sort of comparison does him a disservice. It is more a way of compartmentalizing information so that those who don't know his playing will have some sort of reference or schema with which they are familiar. I think, however, that Dave's playing is only half of the treasure. His writing, which is a jewel separate from his playing, as you will hear on this CD, comes from having spent a very long time listening to everything, not only jazz, (Check out the `Ivesian' intro to my favorite, Moon and Shadow) but anything that might catch his broad interest. And from having analyzed everything he has listened to, and thought about it, and from having tried a lot of ways of expressing what he has thought about it, he has developed the ability to assume any identity he wants to assume, and, at the same time, to assume that identiy in a way that is unmistakably his own. I can think of no better compliment than to hear a piece of unfamiliar music, and to have the thought cross my mind that it reminds me of Dave Kane's music.
. Fortunately, 11o' clock did come for Dave and his friends, and this collection is evidence that he used his free time productively."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1