Search - Jon Irabagon, Mike Pride :: I Don't Hear Nothin' But the Blues

EVEN MORE THAN THE BLUES...

Steven H. Koenig | Brooklyn, NY, United States | 10/01/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The cover drawing shows a man in a black hat and black suit upright behind the locomotive car, blowing his horn. With his legs over the edge of the car is a guitarist. The cover represents the blues.



The music, however, brings memories of some '70s loft jazz sessions, Irabagon responding to modules of his own sax phrases, Pride's drumming setting rhythm but even more so, counterpoint to the sax, and its own melody and pointillism.



Some of Irabagon's blowing does sound like the horn of the freight train, but the riveting aspect is the permutations of the horn riff: gutbucket godchild of Roscoe Mitchell's Nonaah.



Pride's drumming is clever, using varied patterns over varied lengths of time, prodding Irabagon on, not Jazz at The Philharmonic style, but daring, taunting, nudging, and meshing with the sax, whether single slams or expanding trains.



This set is an extremely satisfying trip, and rewards frequent flying.



Irabagon can also be heard to advantage with Peter Evans, Kevin Shea and Moppa Elliott in an ensemble called Mostly Other People Do The Killing (Hot Cup 082). In addition to great improvised music, the jacket of their album This Is Our Moosic is a delightful parody of Ornette Coleman's This Is Our Music cover.



Editor, AcousticLevitation dot org"