Another heady excursion from Mr. Blake
James Lamperetta | Upstate, NY | 12/17/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Saxophonist Michael Blake grew up in Vancouver, Canada however for the past twenty years he has been a part of the vibrant NYC jazz scene. In addition to a half-dozen dates as a leader, his many recording and performance credits stateside include an extended stint with John Lurie's Lounge Lizards. He also received a Composer In Residence commission with the Jazz Composers Collective and continues to be active with many of the JCC's offshoots such as the Herbie Nichols Project and Ben Allison's groups Medicine Wheel and Peace Pipe.
In 2005 he returned to Vancouver for a pair of gigs which featured him exclusively in the company of some of Canada's finest and most forward-thinking jazz musicians. Chemistry abounded and from those gigs Blake assembled the sextet featured on "Amor de Cosmos."
Commenting in the press notes that he "personally finds most jazz `under imagined'," Blake offers listeners a diverse and dynamic listen brimming with imagination. The eight original tunes play out like a supremely hip episodic mini-series for the ears.
Included is a pair of improvised duets with keyboardist Chris Gestrin- the haunting "Ghostlines" which launches the disc with a flourish of understatement and the equally compelling "The Hunt." Both are decidedly minimalist and gently steeped in the avant-garde.
"Temporary Constellation" has a Jekyll and Hyde quality whose theme evokes the wide-eyed wonder and playful mischievousness of youth before morphing into something somewhat sinister and foreboding.
The strength of Blake's writing for the ensemble, as well as the musical-muscle of the group itself shines brightly on the eleven-minute "So Long Seymour." Tension builds as the group marches in lockstep through the tune's long sinewy lines before Brad Turner and Sal Ferraras uncork stellar solos on trumpet and marimba respectively.
"The Wash Away" conjures up the spirit of South-African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim with its joyful theme. Switching to percussion Ferreras helps to gently propel the tune. Turner and Blake are heard to great effect here as is Gestrin on electric piano.
Further sweetening the pot is the fact that "Amor de Cosmos" is a high-resolution audiophile CD. Boasting Super Audio credentials as well as a multi-channel 5.0 mix, this is music that revels in this sonically superior setting.
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Track Listings (8) - Disc #1
