From the November 2013 issue of The New York City Jazz Record.
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Celebrating the release of Ängsudden Song Cycle (482 Music) at Roulette (October 13), multi-reedist Mike McGinnis could barely be seen during the concert’s first half. He was up in the balcony playing “Ängsudden Abstracts” for solo soprano saxophone while dancer Davalois Fearon performed onstage below. In a way, McGinnis danced as well: the intense reverberant sound of his horn changed as he paced the floor, moving closer and farther, setting the scene for the octet showcase of the second half. The stage was strewn with dry leaves and branches — an autumnal flourish, perhaps a nod to the Swedish locale of Ängsudden, the subject of a series of paintings and poems by McGinnis’ collaborator MuKha. Her projections appeared onscreen above the band; her stark black-and-white tapestries hung down from balcony; her words were sung with warmth and precision by vocalist Kyoko Kitamura. There’s no shortage of “chamber jazz” today, but McGinnis brought forth an ensemble sound all his own, playing clarinet and bass clarinet and blending beautifully with Sarah Schoenbeck’s bassoon, the pinpoint vibraphone of drummer Harris Eisenstadt, the pliant viola of Jason Kao Hwang and the deep-toned bass of Dan Fabricatore. Sean Moran’s nylon-string guitar and Khabu Doug Young’s cavaquinho were paired brilliantly, not least on “You Are Morning,” a ray of Brazilian-tinged sunshine and pure melodic inspiration that ought to be remembered many years from now. (David R. Adler)
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If one thing came across during tenor saxophonist Jason Rigby’s first set at Cornelia Street Café (October 5), it was experience. Pianist Russ Lossing, bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Tom Rainey, Rigby’s quartet mates, played with a lucidity that comes from years and years on the bandstand. Rigby, pushing 40, is a bit younger but just as seasoned and assured in his approach. “Noire,” the first piece, began with a lustrous and complex rubato melody and evolved over many minutes, returning to a cued unison figure to keep the exploration grounded. Without pause the band moved into Thelonious Monk’s “Bye-Ya,” embracing a more straightahead vibe with a round of burning solos and trading, still just as adventurous. “New Tune,” by drummer George Schuller, brought back a lyrical rubato feel and allowed for inspired duo exchanges — first between tenor and drums, then tenor and bass. Brown’s powerful solo courted silence and stillness, but Lossing’s entrance, informed by a deep and fluid swing even at a free tempo, sent the music spinning again. In a dreamy and abstract way, the pianist segued into his own “Brain Wave,” the finale, marked by a bass-driven vamp that propelled the tune straight through to Rainey’s climactic drum feature. At the music’s most intense peaks, Rigby maintained a velvety warmth and restraint. His is not a language of high-register wails; there’s a sense of calm within the storm, captured so well on his titles Translucent Space and The Sage, that makes his music unique and endlessly inviting. (DA)
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