Adam O’Farrill / Anna Webber / Nick Dunston / Raf Vertessen

Shining example of modern mainstream improv except for those who figure Jazz evolution ceased around 1960, this maiden voyage by Belgium-born, Brooklyn-based drummer Raf Vertessen showcases his compositional skills as much as his drumming. That’s serendipitous since the drummer, who has also worked with the likes of Ches Smith and Ingrid Laubrock is a colorist rather than a basher.

His choice of associates shows his good taste as well. Trumpeter Adam O’ Farrill and bassist Nick Dunston are busy with many New York ensembles, as is tenor saxophonist Anna Webber, who additionally leads her bands. Actually a suite rather than a collection of random tunes, each of the performances blends into and sets up the subsequent tracks. Rambling and harmonized the group moves at various tempi exposing flashes of capillary high pitches and reed slurs, string clumps and woody drum splats, rumbles, rim shots and cymbal claps. Attaining more unity as the program evolves, mid-range bass string rubs and drum bounces help amplify more exploratory impulses from the horn players encompassing contrapuntal variants from top-of-range whistles and renal scoops from Weber that explode into glossolalia met by O’Farrill’s packed flutter tonguing. The place-marking stop-time march that is “FAKE” accents the dramatic elation that characterizes the second half of the suite.

Climax and resolution comes with “Cardinali 2+3” and “#2”, the final tracks, as brassy whines and reed split tones move up and down the scale finally reaching concordance when Webber’s double tongued exposition joins with O’Farrill’s sharp arpeggios and Vertessen’s cymbal slaps and drum clumps. This turns the melancholy theme into a final expression of up-tempo triumph. That noun could probably define LOI in general. Hopefully soon there will be a follow-up to this impressive debut.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. LOI 2. #1 3. #4 4. Layers 5. #14 6. FAKE 3:7 7. IRR (1) & #3 8. Cardinali 2+3 9. #2

Personnel: Adam O’Farrill (trumpet); Anna Webber (tenor saxophone); Nick Dunston (bass) and Raf Vertessen (drums)