Saxophonist Rob Reddy Blurs the Lines
Between Improvisation and Complex Structure on
Citizen Quintet - Available September 30 on Reddy Music
Since his emergence onto the scene in 1989, composer/soprano saxophonist Rob Reddy
has established himself as an adventurous and original leader in the
contemporary jazz realm. Prolific, eclectic and versatile, Reddy is
recognized by musicians, critics, and funding institutions. With his new
recording Citizen Quintet, Reddy adds another powerful milestone to his reputation. Citizen Quintet
is his eighth album where Reddy is again fully within his own territory
and in the company of a superb group of musicians - trumpeter John Carlson, guitarist Brandon Ross, double bassist Dom Richards and drummer Pheeroan akLaff--all regular collaborators of his for more than 20 years.
With Citizen Quintet, Reddy
has purposefully diminished the emphasis upon the compositional form on
behalf of a looser and more open approach to the creative substance,
allowing the musicians' longtime familiarity to breathe more freely. As a
result, Reddy says "this session had a real joy & ease to it."
Indeed, the sense of joyful turbulence and free-reined expressiveness
that is so fundamental to the music of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Sun
Ra and Albert Ayler is vividly displayed throughout this album.
But
this is no free improv or loose-knit blowing album by any means. There
is a rich and complex structure and overall sense of purpose and shape
always in full bloom. Reddy states, "Within the confines of five
instrumental voices I attempted to break the ensemble down...solos,
duos, trios, entire ensemble improvisations... I continue to explore the
idea of juxtaposing the composed melodic material and the improvised
music with one another." They emerge from the compositional structures
and sometimes the process is reversed--and often combined. Written and
improvised lines are sometimes blurred, sometimes intersected and
sometimes indistinguishable within the pure musicality and extraordinary
musicianship of the members of the ensemble.
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| Photo Credit: R.I. Sutherland-Cohen |
Striking
unison passages, stirring anthems, arresting harmonies, atmospheric
rubato, and a rollicking sense of energetic jubilance are all part of
the compositional structure and improvisational interplay. The
individualistic voices of the musicians combined with their impeccable
artistry and consummate sense of creativity make the music shimmer with
excitement and vitality.
Reddy
uses one collage-like piece in three parts to create a web of context
to anchor the album. "Hear Me?" opens the album, while "Hear Me? (Very
Slight Return)" emerges a bit more than halfway through, with "Hear Me?
(Slight Return)" closing the album out. Swaggering blues, hollering
unison, mesmerizing chants and collective exchanges at the highest level
create a sumptuous aura that makes the listener feel that they are
waking from a lovely dream each time this mosaic reappears.
Richly dense atmospheric excursions are at play for a pair of extended pieces. "Time Smells Good" opens
with crystalline guitar also; darkly ominous with impending danger,
then ushering in a lovely slow drag dirge that sets the foundation for
Reddy's sinuous, serpentine solo. Fluttering soprano opens "Redemptive
Grace," a smoothly grooving waltz time sojourn, with exceptional
guitar/bass interplay over delicate percussion opening up the way for a
riveting guitar solo and sparkling soprano.
The
captivating Art Ensemble of Chicago vibe is invoked on two other items.
"Right as Rain" has an Ornette-ish compositional line in rubato, with
visceral individual statements emerging from the compositional mass; and
"Duck Duck Goose" is a delightful "battle" that pits soprano and drums
against trumpet, guitar and bass. Carlson's dynamic talents are
showcased on "Paralysis Of Analysis," opening on an inspired
trumpet cadenza eventually underscored by an explosive, rapid-fire,
starkly syncopated and suspended line that buoys his exhilarating solo.
"Forsaken's"
richly syncopated unison melody lays the foundation for a full ensemble
improvisation that constructs a fervid and impassioned wall of sound.
The whimsically sardonic spirit of one of Reddy's greatest mentors,
Makanda Ken McIntyre, is on hand for the delightful "Without a Paddle", staggering like a happy drunk, with echoes of Reddy's Bechet project in Richards' tuba-like bass.
There
is a European artistic giant who does come to mind in terms of Reddy's
musical approach - the immortal filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, who maintained
a steady group of collaborators in front of and behind the lens to
shape his most singular vision. A true modernist, Reddy draws upon the
full palette of jazz expressionism rather than the Modern European
milieu that flavors many of today's more daring composers.
Upcoming Rob Reddy Performances:
October 5 / New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, Arnhold Hall / New York, NY
October 13 / Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning / Jamaica, NY
October 16 / ShapeShifter Lab / Brooklyn, NY
Rob Reddy · Citizen Quintet
Reddy Music · Release Date: September 30, 2016
DL Media · 610-667-0501
Greg Angiolillo · greg@dlmediamusic.com
Don Lucoff · don@dlmediamusic.com
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