Nude Rolling Down an Escalator: Studies for Disklavier by Kyle Gann CD

Nude Rolling Down an Escalator: Studies for Disklavier by Kyle Gann EXTENDED PLAY was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. With a front line that features saxophone, trombone, and vibraphone/marimba, the Dave Holland Quintet features an immediately identifiable band sound. As for backing, bassist Holland and traps man Billy Kilson provide a push-me-pull-you, supple and responsive rhythm section that is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to accompaniment ideas. The thing that separates the men from the boys in the world of jazz improvisation is listening--when the performers are paying close attention to one another, the creative horizons are all but limitless. It would be a slight to say this quintet is all on the same page, better to imagine they all bring their knowledge of great art and fine cuisine to bear each time they play together--it's a multi-faceted, heady brew. Holland's compositions are angular but never dissonant, polished but also earthy. The illusion is that these tunes flow effortlessly from this smart ensemble. The truth is that this is one of the best groups in early 21st-century jazz, based on a refined collective sensibility that is savvy and rare. Dave Holland Quintet: Dave Holland (double-bass); Chris Potter (soprano, alto & tenor saxophone); Robin Eubanks (trombone, cowbell); Steve Nelson (vibraphone, marimba); Billy Kilson (drums). Personnel: Dave Holland (double bass); Chris Potter (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Robin Eubanks (trombone, cowbells); Steve Nelson Quartet (vibraphone, marimba); Billy Kilson (drums). Recording information: Birdland, New York, NY (11/21/2001-11/24/2001). Photographer: Moreno Nicoloso. 2cds

Nude Rolling Down an Escalator: Studies for Disklavier by Kyle Gann ETERNAL proves (yet again) that saxophonist Branford Marsalis, though no longer a "young lion" of jazz, still has a strong, unique musical voice. This 2004 album begins with "The Ruby and the Pearl," a somber tune that suggests an Argentinean tango. On this selection, Marsalis's soprano sax glides effortlessly over the understated rhythms. The title track is really a tone poem; it tells the story of the universe through both large, sweeping gestures and soft, delicate colors. Over 17 minutes long, this work is an extended improvisation that crescendos little by little, then explodes and collapses on itself; after a pause, the gentle melody reappears. Overall, this is a very reflective, even melancholy record. Here Marsalis is not interested in impressing the listener with awesome chops--he's just interested in creating great music An Extraordinary Ballad Coll. W/J.Calderazzo,E.Revis,J.Watts Liner Note Author: Rafi Zabor. Recording information: Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY (10/07/2003-10/10/2003). Personnel: Branford Marsalis (saxophone); Branford Marsalis; Eric Revis (bass instrument); Joey Calderazzo (piano); Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums). Audio Mixer: Rob "Wacko" Hunter.

Nude Rolling Down an Escalator: Studies for Disklavier by Kyle Gann Photographer: Robert "RX Lord" Lewis. Personnel: Marc Johnson (double bass); Marc Johnson ; Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone); John Scofield (guitar); Eliane Elias (piano); Alain Mallet (organ); Joey Baron (drums). Recording information: Avatar Studios, New York, NY (01/2004-02/2004).

Nude Rolling Down an Escalator: Studies for Disklavier by Kyle Gann From the first moment when Art Blakey comes crashing in to establish a kinetic Latin groove on the eponymous opening song, Hank Mobley's Roll Call explodes with energy. The first horn heard here is actually Freddie Hubbard's trumpet, foreshadowing the prominent role that he would have in the sound of this album. The quintet all work together flawlessly here, but Hubbard particularly shines as he plays off of Mobley's fluid riffs and carries more than a few lines himself, sounding particularly athletic and effortless on the closing track, "The Breakdown." Mobley's performance throughout the recording is stylish without being restrained, and the strength of his songwriting shines on five of the album's six songs. A warm, laid-back, sweet version of "The More I See You" is also included, with a muted Hubbard sounding very much like Miles Davis. It is a nice complement to this collection of originals, which has often been overshadowed by Mobley's other late-'50s and early-'60s work but is definitely deserving of some attention of its own. ~ Stacia Proefrock Digitally remastered by Rudy Van Gelder. This is part of Blue Note's RVG series. Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on November 13, 1960. Originally released on Bluenote (4058). Includes liner notes by Robert Levin and Bob Blumenthal. Personnel: Hank Mobley (tenor saxophone); Freddie Hubbard (trumpet); Wynton Kelly (piano); Paul Chambers (bass); Art Blakey (drums).

Nude Rolling Down an Escalator: Studies for Disklavier by Kyle Gann For this luminous 2004 trio date, clarinetist/leader Don Byron collaborates with Jason Moran and Jack DeJohnette, two of the finest musicians in jazz. A firebrand with a kaleidoscope of styles, Moran emerged in the 1990s as one of the most innovative pianists of his generation, while DeJohnette's muscular, distinctive drumming has long placed him among the most influential drummers of post-'50s jazz. That Byron chose these players to complement his own multi-faceted explorations (which are influenced by traditional jazz, klezmer, chamber music, funk, and hip-hop) is enough to make one giddy even before the disc plays. IVEY-DIVEY lives up to its promise. Motifs from swing and big-band music thread through the album, but the trio use these only as a jumping-off point. Veering from melodic, straight-ahead bop to cacophonous journeys outside the frame, Byron, Moran and DeJohnette generate a dramatic sound all more effective for its attention to dynamics and staggeringly complex, sensitive interplay. Bassist Lonnie Plaxico and trumpeter Ralph Alessi are present on a few numbers, but this is the trio's show, as readings of Gershwin ("Somebody Loves Me"), Miles Davis ("Freddie Freeloader"), and Byron's own tunes ("Abie the Fishman") prove. This is thoroughly modern, top-drawer jazz marked by adventurousness, beauty, and spectacular musicianship. Recording information: Allaire Studios, Shokan, NY (05/23/2004/05/24/2004). Illustrator: Juliette Borda. Photographer: Cori Wells Braun. Personnel: Don Byron (clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone); Don Byron; Lonnie Plaxico (double bass); Ralph Alessi (trumpet); Jason Moran (piano); Jack DeJohnette (drums). Audio Mixer: Tom Lazarus.

Nude Rolling Down an Escalator: Studies for Disklavier by Kyle Gann Henry Threadgill has, in the framework of abstract music, been a stalwart, spontaneous composer whose personal sound is near impossible to identify, or certainly codify. A listener who enjoys very challenged music would have difficulty in discerning what is made up or written out. The elusive nature of Threadgill's kind of progressive jazz has to confound even those most oriented to his quirky pieces. Where the quintet Zooid lands in this quirky quandary of pegging a signature sound is subject to guesswork, but it definitely has its own brand of concentrated cohesion. Between Threadgill's scattershot flute and alto sax, the sleek tuba or trombone work of Jose Davila, and Liberty Ellman's thorny electric guitar, sparks are always flying about in a collective discourse that is completely unpredictable. Electric bass guitarist Stomu Takieshi and drummer Elliot Humberto Kavee are practically secondary in this mix of give-and-take improvisation that needs little rhythmic support or urgency. What seems telepathic or in zig-zag patterns is bursting with colors to the point where those lines are blurred with the virtuosity of these players. Then again, most of the tracks do have a funky underpinning anchored by Takieshi and Kavee that lends a more contemporary, updated feel to the proceedings. Threadgill has always used contradictions as a foundation for his music, and that is something his fans should expect at this juncture. His flute playing is exceptional as featured on the first half of this session, traipsing along in cat-like fashion for the intriguing film noir-shaded "White Wednesday Off the Wall," or the funkier, heavy water experiment "To Undertake My Corners Open." Ellman and Davila take hefty respective solos on these tracks, alleviating Threadgill of any heavy leadership burden, but "Chairmaster" is more a collective jam, as Davila's chunky tuba gets the ball rolling for Ellman's spatial guitar, the in-late flute, and a diffuse melody that cannot be pinned down. With the other three selections featuring Threadgill's atmospheric and wooden alto, you hear more gothic tones, still funky but intangible within Ellman's color palette during "After Some Time." A driving free bop pattern anchors "Sap" at the outset, but bursts in all directions at once like fireworks, while "Mirror Mirror the Verb" staggers short phrases like bursts of dimmed light. A most unique combination of musicians that collectively sounds like no other modern jazz ensemble, Threadgill's Zooid must be heard to be appreciated, especially live, as the studio does not do the band justice. This CD is identified as a first volume, and though clocking in at a brief total time of under 40 minutes, it must mean there's more in store. ~ Michael G. Nastos Recording information: Brooklyn Recording, Brooklyn, NY (11/2008). Personnel: Liberty Ellman (guitar); Henry Threadgill (flute, saxophone, alto saxophone); Jose Davila (trombone, tuba); Stomu Takeishi (bass guitar); Elliot Humberto Kavee (drums). Audio Mixer: Liberty Ellman.