Kuzu

Daniel Carter/Brad Farberman/Billy Martinz
Just Don’t Die
Ropeadope No #

Similiarly constituted trios from the New York and the Midwest couldn’t be more different than a Chicago Bar-B-Q joint and a Manhattan vegan restaurant. Hiljaisuus, featuring Windy City saxophonist Dave Rempis, Bloomington-percussionist Tyler Damon and Asheville guitarist Tashi Dorji consists of two blistering live tracks that could power any oven needed for pork rib cooking. Meanwhile Just Don’t Die is more like a family-style fusion restaurant. Multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter, drummer Billy Martin and guitarist Brad Farberman offer up 10 entrees which range from those which sizzle with popping near funk, to some that are so low calorie that there’s a danger of ennui.

Carter, of course, is the epitome of the Jazz journeyman, having played with everyone from William Parker to David Haney. Martin, who now leads his own bands, was one-third of the popular Medeski, Martin and Wood trio, while Farberman pilots his own experimental funk group Middle Blue and has recorded with Rhys Chatham and Jason Kao Hwang.

Considering that the Carter, Farberman, Martin (CFM) disc is presented exactly as what was “created right then and there” in the studio, certain of the briefer tracks lack focus. Seemingly aiming for a variant of 1970s-style Spiritual Jazz, conflict between ethereal flute playing and pedal-and-knob distortions from the guitarist sometimes seems insurmountable. Understated drum accents sometime create further tone separation. Even when Carter brings out his other horns, the disengagement remains. Instances of this challenge and partial resolution characterize the related “Supreme”, “Just Don’t Die” and “Dih Dih Dih Dih DIH DIH DIH”. As Martin’s concentric percussion rhythms works to stabilize the narratives, meandering trumpet slurs and persistent fuzz-tone string slides appear at loggerheads. Happily by the third track, an association between mellow brass flutters and stylized guitar tangs establish the narrative.

More expressive and telling at the end of the session are extended pieces like “I Guess Everything Is Happening as It Should” and “The Really Nice Guy with Long Hair.” On the former, Martin’s darker drumbeats, pops and clicks help cement a boosting exposition, spurred by horizontal single-string action from Farberman and grace notes swarming from Carter’s alto saxophone. Eventually after the saxophonist explores theme variations upon theme variations, twanging guitar frails end up accompanying the smoothing of harder reed phrases. Even better, the final “The Really Nice Guy with Long Hair” manages to find common ground among steady drum patterning, intermittent string fills and saxophone slurs and slithering vibrations. The meandering narrative is finally squeezed into three-part communication after slack-tone guitar licks and percussion polyrhythms coalesce into a near-straight-ahead a resolution.

As pugnacious throughout as CFM are passive in parts, Kuzu hits the ground running and races on from there. Rempis who is part of a variety of ensembles with everyone from Tim Daisy to Elisabeth Harnick; Damon who performs as a soloist and in duo with Darin Gray and Mette Rasmussen; and Dorji, who works with Damon and Rasmussen as well as Thom Nguyen, easily find common Free Jazz ground. Very much two variations on the same theme, the frenetic and pulsating tracks only differ slightly in terms of length. The more extended “Fontanelles 1 & 2” features more variety as the three work their way up from dissociated rim shots and cymbal scratches, guitar string clips and strums plus slow expelling of strained air into full-out reed glossolalia, pressurized strums and dribbling and double-popping guitar ruffs.

The effect is sort of like New Thing meets Heavy Metal, with enough guitar string shredding distortions and irregularly vibrated altissimo shrieks to define both genres. Midway through, bellicose chording and variegated saxophone split tones push the interaction to a higher-pitched, more distorted plane, where multiphonic splashes and variable pressure are intensified by Damon’s ratcheting beats and cymbal-clanging, bell-ringing stresses. Spreading emotional release among the trio members, this top-of-range tension echoes throughout until the improvisation relaxes into unplugged guitar thumps, cymbals clip-clops and saxophone slurs.

An invigorating shot-in-the arm, the variation on the nearly opaque pure Free Jazz expression by Kuzu can be appreciated for its sheer audacity. This includes utilizing motifs from reed doits and fire-drill-like tonal smears, up-the-guitar-neck swaying flanges and shaking drum rattles and pumps to create Free Jazz tension. The band’s sophistication in performance is that it can also downshift from this pressurized explosion.

CFM’s commitment to in-the-moment improvisation must be commended. However recording everything that is created in the moment doesn’t necessarily result is a cohesive program. The trio’s feeling-around and hesitation was resolved by the last few, superior tracks. That point is when the session should have commenced however. Because of that it’s very likely the three will create a far superior product next time out.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Just: 1. The Time Is Near 2. Prince of Naps 3. Prince of Hair 4. Supreme 5. Just Don’t Die 6. Dih Dih Dih Dih DIH DIH DIH 7. Little Piece of Sky 8. I Guess Everything Is Happening as It Should 9. Bari Geesher, Geesher Bari 10. The Really Nice Guy with Long Hair

Personnel: Just: Daniel Carter (trumpet, tenor saxophone and flute); Brad Farberman (guitar) and Billy Martin (drums)

Track Listing: Hiljaisuus: 1. Fontanelles 1 & 2 2. Gash

Personnel: Hiljaisuus: Dave Rempis (alto, tenor and baritone saxophones); Tashi Dorji (guitar) and Tyler Damon (percussion)