Search - John Tchicai :: Moonstone Journey

Saxophonist John Tchicai blazed a strange trail in the heyday of 1960s jazz. He kept a cool head amidst the most mercurial improvisers, and somehow he's also gained a longer stay on Earth. Tchicai has never slowed in his creative explorations, though. From avant-funk to punchy, midsize ensemble brawn that would make Charles Mingus proud, Tchicai has excelled at several postbop jazz languages. With Ok Nok ... Kongo, his Danish roots come to the fore--or at least he brings a cast of Danish musicians to the fore with him on Moonstone Journey. The tunes this octet plays are all touched by a beguiling level of simplicity that's laid over their intricate complexities. Tchicai is still a cool head, playing tenor and soprano in ways that dizzy the ear while also serving as leader of this loopy band. They play squirrelly stuff, guitar-snaked little hedges that dance and teeter on midrange notes before dipping into the lowend thanks to Mads Hyhne's expertly warm trombone and Nils Davidsen's bowed bass. Fans of Mingus and Steve Lacy will want to sink into Moonstone Journey. --Andrew Bartlett