a r t i s t : Patrick Zimmerli
t i t l e : Expansion
d a t e : 2000
l a b e l : Songlines
g e n r e : Jazz
r l s. d a t e : Mar/2007
t r a c k s : 06
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 70,8 MB
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Patrick Zimmerli (tenor saxophone),
Ben Monder (guitar),
Stomu Takeishi (fretless electric bass),
Satoshi Takeishi (percussion)
Five years after the debut of his Ensemble on Songlines
(Explosion, SGL 1508-2), award-winning New York
composer-saxophonist Patrick Zimmerli returns with another
radical re-examination of jazz orthodoxies. Like the earlier
program, Expansion combines contemporary classical musical
elements with a jazz feel and approach, and includes standards
as well as original compositions. This time however Zimmerli
has organized his thoughts in longer forms. Built on a drone,
"Sand" was inspired in part by Hindustani classical music and
the dense, steady-state textures of the Japanese Gagaku
ensemble; it's an emotionally compelling and intellectually
fascinating piece whose shifting inner complexities reveal
themselves slowly (see Kevin Whitehead's liner notes for a
guide to its organization, and then try to keep track of who's
soloing when). "The Elements Suite" is probably the jazziest
work Zimmerli has yet recorded: in contrasting/complementary
sections, the Ensemble explore together the blues, ballads,
and post-bop through techniques (purists might say distorting
lenses) of chromaticism, extended harmony, and polyrhythm. In
Monk's "Evidence" and Bronislaw Kaper's "Invitation" Zimmerli
pays his respects to the jazz tradition directly: their more
conventional (though still slightly off-kilter) swing and
melodic/harmonic departures provide a point of entry to his
transformed world, with its often wild leaps, shining
textures, and deep moods. Throughout the record Zimmerli and
his associates bring advanced performing skills and great
intelligence to bear on the interpretive challenges he sets,
producing highly polished, exciting, unique music that
suggests new creative directions beyond labels.
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Saxophonist/composer Patrick Zimmerli follows up 1995's
Explosion with another challenging work from the same
ensemble. As was the case on the previous record, two pieces
are from jazz repertoire: Thelonious Monk's "Evidence," set to
a perky 7/8 groove, and the standard tune "Invitation,"
performed in a relatively straightforward manner, albeit with
extensive reharmonization.
Zimmerli's originals are as abstract and exotic as ever.
"Sand," the opener, begins with a drone note that sets up a
strikingly subtle, Eastern-influenced rubato theme. (Kevin
Whitehead's second-by-second analysis in the liner notes is
well worth reading.) The piece evolves into epic, free
interplay between Zimmerli, guitarist Ben Monder, electric
bassist Stomu Takeishi, and percussionist Satoshi Takeishi.
The second original of the date, "The Elements Suite,"
consists of three movements: "Fire/Earth," which opens with a
rapid, crazed-sounding line and goes on to feature tight
tenor/guitar unison passages and a more harmonically defined,
almost latin-tinged section; "Air," a calmer rubato movement,
with primordial sounds issuing forth from Satoshi Takeishi's
percussion; and "Water," a busier, in-tempo exposition built
around a short, clever melodic fragment.
Both the originals and the standards bear clear marks of
Zimmerli's highly individual style, in which contemporary
classical and ethnic musics mix with free jazz, and in some
cases - especially on "Invitation" - not-so-free jazz. ~ David
R. Adler, All Music Guide
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01-sand [14:06]
02-evidence [05:54]
03-the elements suite - fire-earth [09:14]
04-the elements suite - air [08:34]
05-the elements suite - water [08:03]
06-invitation [08:26]
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54:17 min