Codebook

Sax/piano quartet, with an accessibly but complexly modern sound. Touches of funk and kind of a rough street-sax tone, and a bit of the "ultramodern" stuff Mahanthappa has done with Fieldwork (pianist Vijay Iyer from that band is here). Thinking man's jazz that's not to obscure to have a swing to it.

Mahanthappa and Iyer are part of a very interesting corner of New York jazz these days; all their stuff is well worth checking out.

Hidden in the music are lots of codes and number patterns ... #4, for example, is apparently built around the number 142857. And there's a code wheel and coded message inside -- check it out before we lose it!

1- Strong tough sound, fast, great sax solo.
2- Midtempo steady chugging, nicely heavy feel.
3- Funky in an off-kilter way. *Fast* fluttery sax solo.
4- Strong glassy tone, mid/fast, w/some tough sax soloing
5- Sparse popping intro (band members playing their names in Morse code!). Into light piano, then fast, bubbly sax. Quiet end.
6- Fast sax attack
7- Mid/fast herky-jerky theme, into loose free group soloing
8- Cascading mid/fast, rather busy. Bass & drum solos.
9- Lyrical and pretty.