Glenn White Sacred Machines CD

"His is a thoughtful, remarkable style." - GoGo Magazine. With Sacred Machines, the New York City-based saxophonist showcases his intricate ensemble writing with a band of creative musicians, including pianist Roberta Piket, flutist Jamie Baum, bassist G

Personnel: Glenn White (tenor saxophone); Patrick Hay (guitar); Jamie Baum (flute, alto flute); Glenn White (tenor saxophone); Roberta Piket (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Gary Wang (upright bass); Jeff Hirshfield (drums).
Audio Mixer: Michael Marciano.
Recording information: Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NY (08/29/2007/08/30/2007).
Photographers: Jeffrey Kliman; Daniel Sheehan.
For his sophomore effort (his first on a label), New York saxophonist Glenn White has brought together a wide range of influences and stylistic elements, combining it all into one surprisingly coherent work. The album opens with the title track, a dense piece that takes some cues from Coltrane's "Giant Steps" motifs, particularly in the piano comping, excellently provided by Roberta Piket. The album takes a good turn toward the urban with pieces like "Triality," also combining the flute of Jamie Baum to a degree not common in jazz albums. For White, the flute appears to act as a melodic lightener when used alone, as well as a harmonic addition, doubling the sax lines from time to time. In "Washington Heights," White combines the nightclub style of jazz common to New York with a spaciousness to the composition (largely due to some extra flute used to set the scene), a common element in a lot of jazz produced west of the Mississippi (White has spent time in both Arizona and Alaska). There's a little more counterpoint and what almost sounds like a quick rondo in "Phobia," some nice soloing all around in "Wish," and a driving rhythm section in "Aftermath" that opens up with the winds in a way that almost evokes Albert Ayler. Sacred Machines features a little bit of discord in the instruments, a little bit of complexity in the compositions, a little bit of richness in the sax solos, and a lot of highly intriguing music pumped out by the whole ensemble. With this release, White proves himself worthy of the jump from self-production to the eclectic but quality-driven OA2 label. ~ Adam Greenberg