Birds of a feather who never think twice about what they do, alto saxophonists
Rudresh Mahanthappa and
Steve Lehman play together with a religious fervor and shared values that few musicians on similar instruments have ever possessed. Recorded at the Braga Jazz Festival, these two blow as if their lives depended on it with every phrase, accent, and extended counterpoint line, the essence of conjoined compatible styles, using so many notes in so little time. These whirling dervishes base their rhythmic contours via power-pointed accents and ethno-funk at times during "The General," and spiky fatback counter-melodies on a bed of lean beats from drummer
Damion Reid during "Foster Brothers." There are spatial moments as constructed by guitarist
Liberty Ellman, ballads, blues from bassist
Matt Brewer, and fluttery separates from the principals. But mostly it's
Mahanthappa and
Lehman pushing the limits of their instruments as they duel away nonstop, feeding off each other and building huge pyramids of sound. The insistent "Circus" and more joined, less kinetic "Post-Modern Pharaohs" might be tracks that are something of a departure, but reveling in the mastery of how they both uniquely approach what has been a bebop vehicle for most post-
Charlie Parker saxophonists is nothing short of a modern miracle. As ultra-concentrated a creative jazz outing as you will ever hear, the
Mahanthappa-
Lehman combine is heretofore unrivaled, challenged by no similar current tandem, and deserves high merit for its energy level alone. Yes, wailers still roam the Earth! ~ Michael G. Nastos