tnycjr201305

22 May 2013 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD
Eponymous
Federico Ughi Quartet (FMR)
by Marc Medwin
Given the diversity of this group’s collective
background, the many nods toward tradition are
almost surprising. It isn’t that drummer Federico Ughi,
altoist David Schnug, cornetist Kirk Knuffke and
bassist Max Johnson aren’t steeped in the jazz tradition;
their credentials are well established and they have
developed long-standing collaborative projects in
various formations and contexts in and around jazz.
The fact is, however, that they also embrace many
others, from bluegrass to art rock and much in between,
though subtlety of form and reference seems to be the
path trod on every track of this quartet’s debut.
The most overtly non-’jazz’ offering here is
“Wearing a Wire?”, with its smart and soulfully driven
rhythms, courtesy of Ughi, supporting a heavily
accented unison melody. Knuffke’s solo gradually
morphs from blues to something on the order of
Plugged Nickel-era Miles as the others weave in and
out of funk and noisy free jazz modes. Frequent pauses
and tempo shifts only add to the track’s in-your-face
intrigue, conjuring shades of Ornette Coleman’s later
projects in the process.
The rest of the album draws on Coleman’s work as
well, particularly the jaunty “Technicolor”, sounding
as if it was pulled from one of the Sound Museum
discs, but, of course, none of the music adheres so
strictly to form and structure. The labyrinthine
melodies and drones of “Ange” are closer to the New
York Art Quartet’s brand of musical cinematography
than to anything Coleman waxed as Ughi supports the
constantly shifting structures with expert brushwork.
If one aspect of the disc could be changed, it is the
almost incessant reliance on unisons. On future efforts,
the group would do well to skip right to the bluesy or
pointillistic bits, saving unison passages for special
occasions. That said, these ten compositions,
augmented by Ughi’s polyrhythmic and timbral
facility, Schnug’s unpretentious growls, Knuffke’s
smooth warm tones and Johnson’s flawless arco, add
up to make an excellent first effort.
For more information, visit fmr-records.com. Ughi is at
Ibeam Brooklyn May 18th and 24th with this project. See
Calendar.
Audacity
George Garzone/Frank Tiberi (Stunt/Sundance)
by Stanley Zappa
While there is nothing at all audacious about Audacity,
what’s not to like about saxophonists George Garzone
and Frank Tiberi weaving predictably crafty, intricate
lines atop a rhythm section that never really exceeds
the Jamey Aebersold play-along threshold of rhythm
section persuasion? Should the recording sound stiff,
drummer Jakob Hoyer, though not the solution, is not
the problem. Rasmus Ehlers’ piano solos make one
wonder what happened to his left arm. On “Two
Brothers”, the effect is memorable, like meeting
someone really hot who for some reason doesn’t have
a nose. By “Solar” (track 6), all hotness has been
eclipsed by the harmonic noselessness. Jonas
Westergaard’s bass is unwavering, unflappable and, at
the same time, unremarkable. Fortunately, this is not a
problem in light of the more pressing agenda of
presenting two acknowledged, well ensconced,
thoroughly documented masters once again romping
through the tropes and paying homage to John Coltrane
46 years after his death, at this juncture in their long
and storied careers, in the year of our lord 2013.
“My father died...I was left to support the family
and at 13 I had gigs three nights a week,” says Tiberi
(born 1928) in the liner notes to Audacity. If social
conditions have any effect on one’s musicality, there
won’t be too many Frank Tiberis making their version
of Audacity in the year 2080. His sound, vocabulary
and phrasing come from social realities and economic
conditions long gone. Tiberi’s composition “My Man“
and his solo therein is why he is to be treasured.
Though younger, Garzone also enjoyed that
commercially archetypal time in improvised music so
deftly commodified by the participants. Garzone has
the value add of a career in academia, which he
capitalizes on throughout the recording; those aesthetic
dividends contribute significantly to Audacity’s net
worth. That said, everyone would be the poorer were
Audacity the only recorded statement for anyone
involved.
For more information, visit sundance.dk. Garzone is at The
Stone May 19th with Uri Gurvich and ShapeShifter Lab
May 25th. See Calendar.