Steve Dalachinsky - on Leo Smith - Anthony Braxton - Matthew Shipp

Leo Smith Ensemble @ the Jazz Standard/ Anthony Braxton works for Brass @ St. Marks Church – Sept. 22, 23, respectively.

Another great year unfolded for FONT (Festival of New Trumpet) with a packed and diverse schedule as usual. The two events I attended were by the masters Leo Smith and Anthony Braxton, two of the most important alumni to come out of the AACM, and like many AACM figures, composers as well as instrumentalists, who go way beyond the parameters set by the language of Jazz.
Smith’s first set consisted of three compositions, all as diverse as they can get, all utilizing the expertise of the seven member ensemble he assembled to play the work. There were many promptings by Smith within these severely difficult notated pieces. My guess, having seen other Smith scores, is that they were graphically notated.
The ensemble consisted of two cellists, one lyrical, the other more biting and frenetic, a guitarist, a tuba, a contrabass, a kit drummer, and Smith on trumpet and conducting.
All the pieces contained elements of so-called 20th century classical music, were very stilted and crossed many boundaries, the second piece having a bit of funk thrown in. Smith is more than fantastic as a composer/crafter/conductor/soloist/ensemble player. His use of the strings were a main component, almost like a string quartet within the ensemble, creating different graduations of sound and tone within the growing layers. The concentration needed and carried out by all was astounding. Expert solos by the tuba player and drummer added extra colors to this already dramatic palette. The pieces contained all the qualities of a good contrapuntal/intervallic ride. Non-linear text par-excellence capped by bright frothy runs brought over the top, bringing forth a life force that jumped from page to eye to instruments, rolling, repeating dramas, poignant, awkward, internal stanzas of the highest level of conversation.
When the set ended, Smith introduced the members, then introduced members of his family who were in the audience. He then stated that “ When you wanna play hard music, it’s harder to play. Hear, it’s harder to hear”, (somewhat of a paradox.) I heard. I only regret not sticking around for the second set which I was told, though I found it hard to believe topped the first.

Braxton who was in the audience at Smith’s gig conducted 2 compositions he wrote for brass the following afternoon.
What can I say about Braxton and these two textural complex pieces? One played only once before for his 60th birthday concert. The other I believe, a premiere, though both were over 30 years old.
I’ll start with the second, which, like his Ghost Trance pieces, was a layered, repetitive composition that included a variety of brass instruments including trombone and relied heavily on integrated ensemble work rather than individual solos. It was a quintet, possibly 20 minutes or so in length and after the first piece seemed to me to be rather un-dramatic and flat though quite brilliant and complex, if not familiar sounding.
Piece 1, titled 103 was fantastic, witty and theatrical. It was difficult to see where composition began and theater interjected. Everyone, except Braxton, who conducted both pieces, was dressed like caped, costumed avengers. All were trumpeters, sorry I forgot the count, possibly upwards of 10, all young masters, all playing great within the ensemble and as soloists.
This was a brass track fanfare affair filled with drama, humor, events that seemed both planned and unplanned. The players had plungers, rings, cds, whistles etc. sewn onto their costumes, a lot of which were not just props, or what I refer to, as dangling participles, but tools used to generate and alter sound, within the context of the music. They wore, sewn into their costumes, some sort of anti-Aryan Nation emblems.
Melodies were repeated and were re-forged, staccato solos, hissing mutes, ambient screams. Brass rings, mutes etc., falling down the church steps, players comically acting as if bewildered, turning their backs to the audience. I kept thinking of Cyrano over and over again.
This piece is the height of intelligent composing mixed with the best of the theater of the Absurd. A mutating mutant masterpiece where one keeps thinking, “Where does theater end and accident begin? Curtain. The End?


Matthew Shipp Trio – Piano Vortex - Thirsty Ear Records THI 58180 – The Blue Series – ( Matthew Shipp; piano, Joe Morris; Bass, Whit Dickey; drums

With this latest trio effort by Matthew Shipp we are lead deeper into his dark lyrical maelstrom. Slight touches of Tristano can be felt as Shipp caresses and brushes the keys in his usually offensive (as opposed to defensive) manner. As in the title piece, where he creates an inviting rather than threatening whirlwind, always on the attack, in his brutal love affair with his instrument. Here we are taken on short, sometimes bumpy rides, as with the Nichols-esque, off kilter rollercoastering of “Key Swing”.
In “The New Circumstance” we find the trio sharing the weight equally, with fine brush and cymbal work by long time associate Whit dickey and incisive bowing and plucking by Joe Morris. Then the tune advances into a brisk waltz-like dirge, a signature in Shipp’s comping, followed by, consecutively fine paced solos by Morris and Dickey. This piece, having a very definite new form of construct, ends with a short Morris solo which leads into the fierce “Nooks and Corners” which, in an explosive way, does just that, explore every nook and cranny of the keyboard’s capabilities and language.
“Sliding Through Space” is a slow starting balladic piece that ends up being frighteningly disorienting, as the trio pounds away at our psyches and emotions, then in typical Shipp fashion we are brought safely back to our dreams.
On the track “Quivering with Speed”, which as the title suggests, builds momentum as it goes along, we find Shipp quoting “Giant Steps” in the midst of the furor. From there he just climbs and climbs / advances / and takes new ground then suddenly simply stops, leaving us hanging , jaws dropped, in mid flight.
The final two tracks give of more of this relentless search for a new musicality embedded in the oldest of traditions.
Shipp presents us with an extremely listenable cd, while managing to transport us to the outer limits of music. One feels a slight discomfort while being drawn in to this oddly relaxing vortex.
This music will surely vitalize you so don’t let this cd slip through your fingers. Pick it up today.