Trumpeter Brian Groder, over a small handful of recordings, is established as an improviser creating his own pathway apart from his influences, and his main mentor Sam Rivers. Decades of dedication to creative music have given pianist Burton Greene a mighty reputation in his field, with a unique perspective that crosses over into 20th and 21st century contemporary classical music. With ex-Cecil Taylor sideman, alto saxophonist Rob Brown, the fantastic bassist Adam Lane, and drummer Ray Sage, this thoroughly special collective makes music in the moment with a certain grit, spirit, and depth. The liner notes of the CD obsess about so-called free jazz as if it is a regularly maligned and misunderstood subgenre, but one thing is certain: this talented ensemble plays music unique unto itself, liberated of any barriers save the occasional pulse or beat rooted in the tradition. What Groder and Greene accomplish is an integration with their bandmembers, sounding unified while retaining their individuality in a cohesion that not so much defines a sound as it consistently triggers their best assets. Cool and groovy yet elusive and ethereal, the opening number "Landfall" establishes a rambling swing as Brown fans the flames while Greene walks up and down a spiral staircase. Tip-toeing through time, Greene's delicate musings during "Separate Being" shape Groder's muted trumpet into a dream sequence, not nightmarish but rather pleasant, while "Amulet" goes into the underground abyss, more spacious yet shredded. The funky "Nigh" recalls a Julius Hemphill blues, as Groder's outspoken horn and Brown's honking alto tumble on and on. A few segments feature two instruments paired before the rest of the group joins in, like the alto/drums workout starting up "Only the Now" followed by the loose rhythms of Lane and Sage, or a solo Groder followed by Greene on "Cryptic Means," which identifies the intent of the group as much as any title, with a considerable amount of playful counterpoint in varied tempi. At times, other gruff tones or late-night elements enter, but in general, there's grounded improvisation with a firm background and experience playing with masters of the idiom. Groder & Greene is an excellent example of new, modern-day music lined with the wisdom of the pioneers of free jazz, creative improvised, or spontaneous composition, whatever you wish to term it.
© Michael G. Nastos /TiVo