Julieta Eugenio

Two international saxophonists who have relocated to New York show here that creative sounds from a bass-drum trio can reach decisive points coming from diverse directions.

Interestingly enough on her debut disc it’s Argentinean tenor saxophonist Julieta Eugenio who lists towards the mainstream. Someone who has studied Jazz at the advanced level since her move to New York in 2013, her interpretations here are backed by bassist Matt Dwonszyk and drummer Jonathan Barber, who work together in other bands and have backed Oleg Butman and Jimmy Greene. Meanwhile German tenor and soprano saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, who has been stateside since 2008 and has been recording since 1998, is more adventurous in her program, Her associates are bassist Brandon Lopez, who has recorded with Ivo Perelman among others and drummer Tom Rainey, who has backed a multitude of sound explorers on both sides of the Atlantic.

With a tone reminiscent of Joe Lovano’s, there’s nothing frilly or diffident about Eugenio’s playing. She slides, honks and squeezes out powerful linear solos with a confident air. The bassist and drummer are besides and behind her from the thumping backbeat and vibrating string walking of the vaguely Latin “Efes”, which opens the disc. Eugenio’s also confident enough to play slowly and emotionally on tracks such as “Racoon Tune”, where well modulated reed flutters meet up with balanced echoes from Dwonszyk. She even able to compose a tune like “Another Bliss” which mates a light texture with overall intensity. Following tough paradiddles and slaps from Barber, she smoothly dips not only into the horn’s low range, but with assurance then slides upwards towards clarion tone by the end. However, despite Dwonszyk’s often guitar-like facility, Barber’s command of shuffle beats and gentle patterning and her own ability to impact relaxed horizontal tone interpretations to the 10 tunes, there are also drawbacks here. Within the rigidity of the trio form, each player seems to solo on some part of every number leading to almost monotonous realized expectations. Plus, as the leader and chief soloist, Eugenio doesn’t appear to let herself go enough. Nearly every piece could be characterized as a relaxed swinger, but except for the odd reed honk or sputter she rarely dares to venture outwards.

It may be a freedom that come with experience, but starting with the airy exposition that is the first and title track, in contrast Laubrock seeks out variations of tones, tempos and dynamics. With reed bites and cascading note slithers or concentration, she pulls the theme forward. Setting up a balance between horn arpeggios, bass string rebounds and drum thumps, controlled intensity characterizes this track. This mixture of distinctive string rubs from the bassist, hard drum smacks and reed elaborations that include altissimo squeaks from the soprano, low-pitched cries and split tones from the tenor and slap tonguing from both, expands to take in more unusual techniques throughout. The session concludes with “The Black Bag of Want” that ups the emotional intensity, as a combination of spetrofluctuation and reed snarls undulate the exposition forward until it meets a climax-crescendo of split tone honks in varied pitches, seconded by a thumping bass line, drum top churning and cymbal clatters. Before that, distinctive timbral exploration doesn’t just come from the saxophone, although her sudden explosions into sheets of sound are some of the session’s high points. Lopez’s hard slaps and lyrical stops as well as subtly distinctive use of col legno accents defines some tracks. Meanwhile Rainey’s drum command allows him to be as capable of creating a backdrop from drum stick nerve beats as from hearty percussion ruffs.

Laubrok and company have created another fine instance of assured modern improvisation. Meanwhile Eugenio’s debut shows she has ther ideas and chops to go further, She just needs more assurance to realize that the musical equivalent of coloring outside ther lines is as legit as perfect sound pictures.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Jump: 1. Efes 2. Jump 3. La Jungla 4. For You 5. Racoon Tune 6. Flamingo 7. Another Bliss 8. Crazy He Calls Me 9.-Snowbirds 10. Tre

Personnel: Jump: Julieta Eugenio (tenor saxophone); Matt Dwonszyk (bass) and Jonathan Barber (drums)

Track Listing: No: 1. No Es la Playa 2. When the Island Is a Shipwreck 3. Saturnian Staring 4. Camposanto Chachacha 5. Little Distance Before 6. The Black Bag of Want

Personnel: No: Ingrid Laubrock (tenor and soprano saxophones); Brandon Lopez (bass ) and Tom Rainey (drums)