If you're thinking Anne Rice, then yes, you're right! The Vampire's Revenge is Dom Minasi's inspired rendition of Anne Rice's popular novels, The Vampire Chronicles. But the comparisons stop there. This double-disc CD on which Minasi's regular trio of Ken Filiano and Jackson Krall is joined by a versatile roster of multi-talented improvisers speaks in an innovative jazz language that only thirsty ears will enjoy and understand. Through the art of free jazz sonics, Minasi depicts "The Seduction," through Perry Robinson's clarinet voice and his 12-string guitar using quarter tones, bends, and effect fills from Filiano's electric bass. It is creative and mind-bending. "Just One More" features Steve Swell's circular-breathed trombone, while "The Transformation" reveals a Charles Mingus-like bevy of arcos and pizzicato from several string artists while the reed artists add innovative Eric Dolphy-esque honks, squeals, and squawks. Pianist Matthew Shipp, known for his mastery of atonal nuance, guests on "The Dark Side" and rips the changes apart, "inside and out." Minasi, who is playing against chord changes, is very effective throughout and should be commended for his exemplary creativity. It is a rare sequencing technique to place the title track at the end of a recording; however, Minasi uses this strategy to imprint the project as an indelible reminder of his extended techniques, free tendencies, and mindset of straddling the free and structured music worlds. Expect the unexpected.
© Paula Edelstein /TiVo