The lines between composition and improvisation have always
been ones which jazz musicians seek to blur- from the melodious lines of Louis
Armstrong and Miles Davis, to the flights of technical expertise of Charlie
Parker and John Coltrane- the improvisational side of jazz has always been
important, and on this latest album from multi-national ensemble Anti-House, led
by saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, definitely adds to the blurring effect.
The tracks on Strong
Place are a series of compositions which incorporate jazz playing with
avant-guard techniques, and inflections of world music. The mixture of flowing
melodies which seamlessly merge and combine with sometimes halting, stuttering
rhythmic patterns and extended use of harmonies serve to accentuate the heavily
improvised nature of the album and to make the individual tracks all distinct,
whilst allowing a constant darker feel underlying the whole album.
The tracks are all of a length which allows all the members
of the group space to play. This means that the album has a very organic,
almost ethereal quality to it.
The musicians all make use of added techniques on their
instruments, other than just playing normally- the guitar is played with the
tuners, the saxophones squeak and rumble and the piano is played in a percussive
style. All of this combines to make an exciting, eclectic and interesting
collection of tracks.
8/10
No comments:
Post a Comment