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Ravi Coltrane
Blending Times (Savoy)
David R. Adler
By opening Blending Times with “Shine,” a wonderful rubato melody by pianist Luis Perdomo, Ravi Coltrane seems to take the spotlight off of himself, making deft use of one of his most potent resources: his working band, with Perdomo, bassist Drew Gress and drummer E. J. Strickland. Ever since Moving Pictures, his 1998 debut as a leader, the saxophonist has found ways to grapple with the towering legacy of his late father, John Coltrane, while also addressing creativity in the here and now, finding his own voice among a new generation of players. The title of his new album is ambiguous, but it could have to do with this process of reconciling past and present. (Interestingly, “Blending Times” was a piece from Coltrane’s 2005 release, In Flux, but does not appear here.)
This is Coltrane’s first release since the death of his mother, Alice Coltrane, another major influence. Concluding the disc with Charlie Haden’s “For Turiya” (Alice’s spiritual name), Ravi joins Haden and harpist Brandee Younger in an unusual trio setting, touching upon the ethereal sound world Alice created so compellingly years ago. But apart from that, Blending Times is very much a quartet document, preserving the lineup from In Flux (the group that lit up the Village Vanguard in December 2008).
Half of the 10 tracks are listed as “improvisations conceived and directed” by the leader. The banter heard right before “Narcined” clues one in to some extent: Coltrane says “bass drum” to Strickland, and up comes an open-ended five minutes of funk — frankly, the least interesting example. “Amalgams,” “Before with After,” “First Circuit” and “The Last Circuit” go deeper, into a coordinated flow of entrances and exits, solos and pairs. These freeform tracks succeed on multiple levels: as complete pieces, as virtuoso feature spots, as breaks in between the written works (Ralph Alessi’s leaping “One Wheeler Will,” Ravi’s moody “A Still Life,” Thelonious Monk’s “Epistrophy” in an agitated 5/8 and 4/4). Centering it all is Coltrane’s robust saxophone work, from mournful legato testaments to lithe, overflowing bursts of notes, reflecting both discipline and unchecked imagination.
