Stories Before Within

Jazz | Jan 2008

Reviews

Fo
Reviewed 2008-03-09
JASON KAO HWANG/EDGE: Stories Before Within
Innova, 2007

Top-notch avant-garde jazz with lots of originality: violin/cornet/bass/ drums. Designed as narratives, these challenging pieces nicely balance long improvisational stretches with episodic themes and interludes that give them a logical, directional feel. Everybody sounds good, but bassist Ken Filiano is really prominent and does some fabulous stuff.

All tracks excellent. Try any.

1. 10:33 – layered tick-tock themes & dramatic collisions separate solos; very cool improv dialogues between bass and other instruments.

2. 06:58 – chewy, swaggering bassline; off-kilter groove breaks down into chaos, slow sawing, busy clatter, then reconstitutes itself.

3. 10:22 – superb interaction: alternates a slow walk with a quiet, oozing creep; also noisy in places, and everybody gets a great solo.

4. 09:17 – Korean-style melody (also on Hwang’s “Local Lingo” CD) changes to a low tense groove, then some really spacious drum & bass solos

5. 14:05 – achingly slow melody adds one instrument at a time, gives way to angular jazz ballad; rhapsodic bowed bass solo, mysterious close

[ Fo ] 9-Mar-08

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Charting

2008-03-09 — 2008-05-11 Jazz
Week EndingAirplays
May 4 2
Apr 6 3
Mar 23 1
Mar 16 2

Track listing

1. Cloud Call
2. From East Sixth Street
3. Walking Pictures
4. Third Sight
5. Embers