Cubist Music

EDSEL GOMEZ – “Cubist Music”
Zoho, 2006

The title of this album is to be taken literally. Pianist Gomez and his all-star band tackle an instrumental method inspired by cubist painting: discrete, self-contained units of melody, each with a beginning and an end, are stacked and juxtaposed to create patterns, solos, and even entire compositions… they’re essentially playing with musical Lego blocks! It sounds gimmicky, but it really works. The results are an adventurous, but still quite accessible, revision of bop.

I liked it all. Picks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 11, 12

1. 4:05 – busy uptempo, based on “Caravan”: demonstrates the concept perfectly
2. 5:26 – happy but curiously off-center ditty. Piano, alto sax wander about merrily.
3. 2:47 – relaxed trio ballad with turbulent undercurrent, like a gusty spring breeze
4. 5:53 – mid/uptempo angularity: surprising piano bursts, very cool clarinet solo
5. 3:10 – low, sultry tropical-night tune, gentle piano & bittersweet sax
6. 5:03 – quirky midtempo blues: piano curlicues, good clarinet/sax interplay
7. 4:16 – cute tune about a Puerto Rican frog, gets very busy midway through
8. 4:17 – melancholy duet with Drew Gress’ bowed bass
9. 4:39 – solo piano, thoughtful variations on a classic salsa melody
10. 1:29 – pastiche of session outtakes, but it sounds like a live improvisation
11. 4:29 – late-night sound, gently evocative tenor sax work stands out
12. 3:44 – uptempo, oblique chugger based on a fine point of Latin jazz theory
13. 1:59 – very pretty piano solo (Don Byron tune)

[Fo] - 3/16/06