Search - Rudresh Mahanthappa, Bunky Green :: Apex (Dig)

Avant Garde All Stars (Mahanthappa, Bunky Green, Dejohnette,

Scott Williams | Oakland, CA United States | 09/29/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Overview:



On Apex alto sax players Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green team up with a cast of all stars to create the best avant garde jazz CD of 2010. Green and Mahanthappa have similar styles in that they both frequently let loose with explosive solo runs. While their phrasing is amazing similar, their tones couldn't be more different. Green sports a traditional post bop tone, while Mahanthappa plays with an abrasive accented tone. Their distinct tones really work well in the album as they often have dual melody lines, or simultaneous solos that snake in and out of each other, and their unique voices make it easy to follow what each musician is playing. Mahanthappa and Green are joined by an unbelievable cast of musicians. First you've got Jason Moran on piano, the premiere piano player in 2010 (see my review on his release "Ten" for more details). Next you've got legendary drummer Jack Dejohnette on drums on 4 of the 10 tracks and Damion Reid on the other 6 tracks. The band is rounded out by bassist Francois Moutin (Martial Solal's long time bassist). When I first heard about the CD and the lineup I had high expectations. Here's a case where a stellar band was assembled, and everyone delivered and the results are outstanding. It takes a few listens to take it all in. The music is constantly taking off in different directions, and you've got to pay attention or you'll get lost. It does not make for good background music. This is the type of music where you want to put on your head phones, block everything else out, and follow all the tangents, subtle nuances, and sudden change in directions, and some of the best soloing of 2010.



Song Highlights:



The Journey - Moutin opens up with a monster solo statement on the bass. Green and Mahanthappa then do a call and answer section based loosely around an "eastern" sounding riff. After that section Moran has short piano solo that leads into a Mahanthappa solo, followed by a Green solo.



Who? - This song begins with Mahanthappa and Green soloing simultaneously. After that there is an "off time" section where everyone is playing a staccato riff, all a little bit out of sync (on purpose). This leads into a very free section with a great solo by Green. Another "off time" section leads into a Moran solo, then a Mahanthappa solo. All of the solos have a free feeling. Mahanthappa's solo has some crazy piano and drum backing by Moran and Dejohnette. Throughout the whole thing Moutin is dropping in perfect notes, and sections of occasional walking bass lines. Finally Dejohnette gets rewarded with some solo time on the drums. There are always several interesting things happening simultaneously on this song, perhaps that's where the name "Who" comes from. It's hard to keep track of who is doing what.



Playing With Stones - This song opens with a Moutin bass line. It's got a nice melody line and is perhaps more "post bop" in style then the rest of the album. There is just a great piano solo by Moran on this album, my favorite of the CD.



Highly recommended. There are endless hidden treasures here.









"