DEON

Perhaps best described as an exercise in Guess the Style, DEON’s 12-cut disc is a triumph of post-modernism, ranging through references to Free Jazz, Classic Jazz, Bebop, Swing, marching bands, eastern European dances and Middle eastern souks while maintaining a freewheeling beat. Is it a surprise therefore to find out this quintet is Dutch? In fact ringleader bassist Dion Nijland, who has played with Bo van de Graaf, seems prepared to take on the serious/jokey mantle of the late ICP leader Misha Mengelberg.

Limiting himself to one extended arco and pizzicato solo on the title track, there’s plenty of room for the others to innovate. Trumpeter Ruben Drenth, clarinetist Steven Kamperman, saxophonist Ad Colen and drummer/vibist Mees Siderius all too have experience eon the Netherlands scene. Usually laying down a connective shuffle beat, Siderius’ solitary vibraphone feature is “Slagkracht” where his metal resonation and mallet pops add a polychromatic sheen to the concentrated horn pecks behind him. In contrast, on tracks where the narrative gyrates from parade-ground-like brass honks to cartoon-like Dixieland, he gets to unleash his inner Gene Krupa with a wild percussion break affiliated with a walking bass line.

Concentrated horn trio vamps could be updated swing Era riffs, although each of the players distinguishes himself individually and versatilely. When he’s not speeding through Bebop-like triple-tonguing or harmonizing with the others with layered balladic interludes, Colen can surprise with a hard tenor sax solo replete with Free Jazz screams and power pulsations. This happens on “Wiegelied” whose melodic line judders from faint Mideastern suggestions to transform into Eastern European dance mode following an outburst of clarinet trills and scoops and plunger trumpet tremors. Drenth’s usual straight-ahead trumpeting can also ascend to Bop high notes, or as on the concluding “Takis”, expose bugling, freylekhs or mariachi elements in turn to preserve the groove that’s attached to warm chalumeau reed flutters. Warbling and slinky in his sounds one minute, or creating astute reed arabesques the next, Kamperman’s vamps, vibrations and volume allow him to take on many roles on various tracks and excel at each without flaunting technique.

Besides technical skill and flexibility, the members of DEON appear to express sheer joy in playing. That rare emotion is enough to affirm the quality of this disc.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Karl May 2. Bogerous 3. Lost in the Woods 4. Silent Steal 5. Deun 6. On The Contrary 7. Slagkracht 8. Wiegelied 9. Riddum 10. Shivu 11. Soft Steel 12. Takis

Personnel: Ruben Drenth (trumpet); Ad Colen (tenor and soprano saxophones); Steven Kamperman (clarinets); Dion Nijland (bass) and Mees Siderius (drums and vibraphone)