When cornetist
Rob Mazurek and percussionist
Chad Taylor hired bassist
Noel Kupersmith,
the Chicago Underground Duo became
the Chicago Underground Trio. And when guitarist Jeff Parker came on board for 2000's
Flamethrower, the group became a quartet, however, it kept the name
Chicago Underground Trio instead of changing its name to the Chicago Underground Quartet. Whatever the group calls itself,
Flamethrower is a generally enjoyable, if imperfect, avant-garde jazz date. Outside playing is dominant, and the influence of Chicago's AACM is strong throughout the CD.
Flamethrower is clearly the work of musicians who have spent a lot of time listening to AACM explorers like
Roscoe Mitchell,
Anthony Braxton, and
Muhal Richard Abrams. And like the AACM artists who have influenced them, this group tends to offer avant-garde jazz that is reflective and contemplative rather than angry or confrontational (adjectives that describe the free jazz of
Charles Gayle,
Cecil Taylor,
Albert Ayler, and post-1964
John Coltrane). This isn't an album that one can easily absorb on the first listen, but after playing
Flamethrower several times, the listener finds more and more to like about this music. Despite its imperfections,
Flamethrower is worth picking up if you're an admirer of AACM-style jazz. ~ Alex Henderson