Studio Dan

Tropos
Axioms // 75 ABB
Biophilia Records DL

An encouraging sign of more open musical criteria, these engrossing sessions certify that the repeated assertions by Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) members that their compositions are more than “Jazz” is becoming widely accepted. Half the program of each of these non-AACM and notated music leaning ensembles is given over to creations by two AACM composers. Axioms // 75 AB includes five 1970s pieces by Anthony Braxton interpreted by the Boston ensemble Tropos. Meanwhile one of the two compositions played by Vienna’s nine-piece Studio Dan is George Lewis’ As We May Feel,” given the same respectful treatment and at almost equal length as “Wow and Flutter”, written by Köln-based Belarusian composer Oxana Omelchuk.

Consisting of alto saxophonist Raef Sengupta, drummer Mario Layne Fabrizio, bassist Zachary Lavine, vocalist Laila Smith and pianist Phillip Golub, Tropos formed while the five studying at New England Conservatory, discovering a mutual fascination with Braxton’s work. Energetically applying individual improvisations to the composer’s lines, the members expose the tunes rhythmic and melodic bases as well as their quirky and dissonant characteristics. With an approach encompassing lilting and bel-canto expression, Smith’s lyrical gifts are frequently coupled with similar timbres from Sengupta’s reed Gesticulating with multi-directional yodels and gurgles, her syllables elaboration and yearning vocalese define the pieces as often as her scatting discord.

Individually the quintet finds an unexpected groove in compositions such as “40b” and “6i”. With the second’s skippy-hoppy theme and the former’s foot-tapping momentum, either could be confused for a swing tune. Walking bass coupled with piano comping on “40b” and the drummer’s near-Caribbean raps on “6i” confirm this drift. However the combo also picks up on the tunes’ mercurial nature by extrapolating Aylerian glossolalia from Sengupta on “40b” and decisively pointed cutesy nonsense syllables on the other track. Still, the descriptive power of Smith’s vocalizing is best highlighted on “40o” when she scats her way through yelping and yodeling passages with the japes harmonize with kinetic piano glissandi, brutal percussion smashes and thin saxophone vibrations.

Composed by different band members the five preceding tracks demonstrate that Tropos is no one-trick AACM pony. Weaving her vibrant warbles, percussive retches and voice ululations among the themes and the others’ expositions, Smith’s individual singing harmonizes or challenges. There’s even a pint on “Of the Trellis” where she, along with processional piano lines, becomes the background continuum so that Lavine can stretch out spiccato experiments. The introductory “Fronk” may be the most distinctive of the non-Braxton material however. With room for pinging and ratcheting percussion, reed bites and racing piano smacks, Smith’s rapid slide from semi-operatic highs to shrill atonality defines the band.

Founded in 2005 and committed to experimental music from both the notated and improvised sides, Studio Dan works to interpret Lewis’ through composed work, with just enough aleatoric emphasis to suggest indeterminacy in his precise assemblage. Moving among rugged percussion slabs, high-pitched string variations and fluttering cries from the horns, an initial sound explosion is soon replaced by multiphonic cross pulses between Daniel Riegler’s buzzing trombone splatters and Thomas Frey delicate flute puffs. With Michael Tiefenbacher’s piano tickles making the plain background more level, space is created for the horns’ carefree exuberance. Tougher in its concluding sequence, “As We May Feel” due to harder percussion slaps and double-stopping strings, plunger brass notes and whiny string slices define the diminuendo in intensity with Dominik Fuss’s muted trumpet positioning adumbrating the calming piano ending.

With its snatch of pseudo-Dixieland brassiness and a penultimate section which introduces a sample of Bessie Smith singing with a primitive trumpet obbligato, Omelchuk’s “Wow and Flutter” is superficially more so-called Jazz than Lewis’ piece. Part of this arises from Riegler being joined by guest trombonist Matthias Muche, an experienced improviser. With two trombone soloists, more verve is brought to the capillary exposition. Staccato string swipes, patterning drumming, horn puffs and a moderated swing orientation animate the performance. Post-modern variations in the score are as audible as the Trad Jazz affectations though. Besides interjections by scratchily recorded European operatic voices, one sequence aims so close to Arcadian marching band music that it suggests Charles Ives. With vibrations and smears issuing from all the horn players, the ambulatory theme is preserved despite sonic detours. Crucially orchestral stasis is preserved up to and including the finale. Not only exemplary music, these discs confirm the idea that so-called serious music will be enriched with many more timbral flavors as the 21st Century advances.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Axioms: 1. Fronk 2. Everybody’s Doing It 3. Marquis 8 4. Of the Trellis 5. Alt-Center 6. 23c 7. 23e 8. 40o 9. 40b 10. 23h 11. 6i

Personnel: Axioms: Raef Sengupta (alto saxophone); Phillip Golub (piano, percussion); Zachary Lavine (bass); Mario Layne Fabrizio (drums, percussion) and Laila Smith (voice)

Track Listing: Breaking: 1. As We May Feel# 2. Wow and Flutter*

Personnel: Breaking: Dominik Fuss (trumpet); Daniel Riegler, Matthias Muche* (trombone); Clemens Salesny (alto saxophone, clarinets); Thomas Frey (flutes); Michael Tiefenbacher (piano, synthesizer*, sampler*); Sophia Goidinger-Koch (violin); Maiken Beer (cello); Manuel Mayr (bass) #: Constantin Herzog* (bass, electric bass); Mathias Koch (drums)