5.0 out of 5 stars
Democracy and the trio format, August 1, 2004
This review is from: Let Them Pass (laissez-passer) (Audio CD)
Somehow, in spite of twenty years of being in the business, this is the first recording under John Heward's name. This is spite of the fact that he is a versatile and subtle drummer. If you can figure out how this business rewards its artist's please let me know.
On to the music. This is a trio featuring Heward along with Joe Giardullo on the tenor (on four of the tunes), the piccolo, the bass clarinet, the alto flute on one tune each and the great Mike Bisio on the bass.
Perhaps Heward has never led a session before because his musical aesthetic is egalitarian. This is a true trio completely free of the jazz standard of the lead voice and the rhthym section. The ear might gravitate toward the playing of Giardullo because we are so used to hearing the "melody" instrument as the lead. But try centering your focus on Heward and then you will hear how the others are reacting to him as much as he to them. The same experiment can be done with Bisio as the lead.
As far as the "traditions" that are exemplified in this music, to me it sounds mostly like free jazz of the highest caliber. Giardullo is reputed to be a microtonal specialist but I hear that mostly on the piccolo piece (that piece took me repeated listenings to warm up to). His tenor playing is robust and supple with an improvisational style that reminds me of the endless ideas of Joe McPhee. I understand that McPhee and Giardullo have played together on quite a few sessions. I cannot wait to hear that.
Bisio continues to educated me on what a bass player can do. He has a rubbery sense of time that can be a little bit off and therefore as disturbing as a microtone or can drop right into the groove.
I mentioned Heward as a versatile drummer- at times on this recording he plays like a man trying to express twenty simultaneous rhthyms, at others time he is very calm and steady. I was not suprised to read in an interview his statement that he likes to set up patterns and expectations in order to break them, to surprise the listener.
With all three of these players, there is a sense that they are collectively listening and searching for the right musical phrase- something that will cut to the heart of what all three are feeling at a moment in time. Free jazz as it should be played, as a promise of how much music is still to be made in that style.
This recording falls into my ongoing list of Best of the Year. Give your ears a treat and check it out.
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