Reviewed: 2018-08-13
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: Downbeat: “Hard as it is to put a label on saxophonist Steve Coleman, it’s even harder to codify his system of musical expression, M-Base. The term is an acronym for Macro-Basic Array of Structured Extemporization. One general understanding is that it is less a practice than an approach; it is a way for artists and audiences to think about music. Central to this approach is the question of how musicians translate what they feel into sound, and how that translation can be mad, but performed with a e universally accessible.” Each disc is a separate set with some of the same tunes, but performed with a new approach. Coleman’s band is a top-notch amalgam of new stars in the jazz firmament who can swing from hard bop to Afro funk to free style. Hold on to your seat. This is quite a ride!
If You Like: Roscoe Mitchell, Henry Threadgill, Eric Dolphy, Bill Frisell, Robert Fripp, Weather Report
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
(Disc 1)
1/ Horda (7:35) – (applause) sax starts> midtempo staggering jam swings uptempo on dueling sax & trumpet> morphs into repetitive riffs with thundering rhythm section underpinning> quick fade
**2/ Djw (6:47) – sax starts> uptempo jam> stellar interplay & solos ensue> quick stop
3/ Little Girl I’ll Miss You/ Embedded #1 (16:53) – slow stuttering sax starts> slow jam builds to midtempo> gorgeous sax & trumpet solos> midtempo jam> morphs into waves of sound> midtempo stuttering jam> complex guitar solo> midtempo jam> quick stop
4/ IdHw (6:46) – sax starts> slow jam> pause> slow jam builds in volume & complexity> quick fade
*5/ twf (7:16) – full band swings on uptempo jam with intersecting solos> sax, trumpet, & guitar solo> uptempo jam swings wild> crescendo end
**6/ Figit Time (8:05) – honking sax starts slow & hesitating, swings into uptempo rocking jam> crescendo end
*7/ Nfr (8:06) – sax starts> uptempo jam> stellar interplay of guitar with other instruments> uptempo jam> quick stop
8/ Little Girl I’ll Miss You (7:36) – sax starts> slow jam builds to midtempo> sax, trumpet, guitar solo> midtempo jam> quick stop
9/ Change the Guard (7:00) – sax starts> fast jam> band intro & CD sale announcement> fast jam slows to quick stop
(Disc 2)
**10/ rmt/Figit Time (16:18) – (applause) bass starts> uptempo jam> trumpet, sax, alternate solos> jam swings wild> extended crescendo end
*11/ Nfr (9:47) – midtempo sax solo starts> uptempo staggering jam> sax, trumpet solo> uptempo jam> guitar solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
12/ idHw (7:42) – sax starts slow & hesitant> slow jam> sax solo> slow jam> slow fade
*13/ twf (6:36) – sax starts slow, swings into uptempo jam> sax, trumpet, guitar all solo> uptempo jam slows to fade
*14/ Horda (6:26) – sax starts> builds into midtempo hesitating jam with bursts of sound morphs into wild off-kilter fast jam, then mellows a tad while maintaining velocity> extended crescendo & fade
15/ Embedded #1 (6:58) – sax starts> midtempo jam> melody shift> sax, trumpet solo> midtempo jam> guitar solo> midtempo jam> quick stop
*16/ Djw (7:34) – sax starts> midtempo jam swings uptempo> sax solo> uptempo jam> sizzling trumpet, guitar solos> uptempo jam> drum solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
17/ rmt/9 to 5 (14:58) – sax starts> uptempo jam> trumpet, sax solos> uptempo jam> band intro & cd pitch> uptempo jam> quick stop