Monday, January 2, 2017

Jack Dejohnette featuring Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Garrison-In Movement



The album starts out with some brush flourishes by the main man on drums Jack Dejohnette. Then Ravi's sax comes in with the haunting melody that is Alabama, an original composition by his father, John Coltrane. Garrison's playing here seems to drone and hit all the important chord tones while Ravi stretches the limitations of the melody while Jack holds it down rhythmically. This isn't the way John Coltrane did it. But it is still fantastic, albeit in a much different way. This is the current state of free jazz. Wild, free, and in Ravi's case melodically entertaining and focused. He isn't stretching out here as much as his dad would but he's still going "out there" like the album by Eric Dolphy with the same name. The song still retains the strength and meaning that Trane gave it. Fantastic cover.

Another thing to note is that Garrison isn't playing bass in a standard style whatsoever. He's playing electric bass and droning lots of notes rather than playing walking bass lines in the traditional jazz style. It gives the music a stronger bass sound and sometimes even a fusion edge.

The next tune is an original composition by all three guys entitled In Movement. It starts off with some abstract chords that sound like a question to me. Then these layers of sound come in, starting with some synthesizers (played by Jack). Once Ravi's somber sax comes through you remember you're listening to a free jazz record. The synths and the bass here give the music an ethereal feel. This is the ECM sound for sure. Once we hear more of Garrison's bass lines you can hear that he's playing the bass like a guitar, focusing on chord tones and two-three note clusters played simultaneously. It's refreshing hearing the bass played in this way rather than the usual walking bass line patterns found in traditional as well as free jazz. On this tune they really stretch out and show off their improvising credentials. Ravi can freak out for a bit but he always brings it back melodically. Its a way different approach from his dad. They created a nice piece here.

Next, we have another original composition called Two Jimmy's. This one has a dark minor sound with some extreme low end bass and spacing between the rhythmic dynamics of the bass and drums. Synthesizer appears again, creating droning notes to add to the sonic landscape. This song is way free jazz. Their isn't a clear or concise melody going on, just "sheets of sound". They take the song through various phases but Jack's drumming is the constant, the melody if you will. Its what's driving the music and holding it together from going all over the place. At some point there's a funky synth sound thrown in there. Its funky but it sounds industrial at the same time. Computer jazz music I reckon.

Then there's Blue in Green, the jazz standard by Miles Davis and Bill Evans. But the way they are playing it here is way different. A much more free and personal approach to the song. For me its almost unrecognizable as the song originally played by Miles and Bill Evans. Other than the piano. Jack plays a much different style of piano; a drummer's approach to the piano. More rhythmic and volume dynamics than a typical jazz pianist. This is the ballad of the album. Here we can see where these guys came from. There's that beautiful straight ahead jazz sound and feeling here. These guys are a product of the straight ahead period but they've adapted and changed the way they play based on all the changes in the jazz tradition. Cool stuff.

Serpentine Fire starts off with a funky bassline and backbeat. Ravi's sax comes in like a whisper, laying down some lines in between moments of silence. He's playing a soprano sax here, reminiscent of his dad but he sounds way different. He uses the soprano more melodically than Trane did. He sounds a lot like Wayne Shorter to me here. This whole tune reminds me of some late period Shorter from some years ago. It's a nice funky little vamp.

Lydia is an original tune by Jack Dejohnette. Its most likely written for his wife Lydia. It starts off with a brief melody then follows things up with some beautiful chord changes, outlined by the bass (playing it almost like a guitar). If you listen carefully the song does have a head and proper melody and stuff. But it is hard to hear that for the average and/or non-musical listener. It's written very cleverly in a way that sounds like its all improvised. Perhaps it was.

Rashied is an original composition by Jack Dejohnette and Ravi Coltrane, presumably about Rashied Ali. Rashied Ali was a great drummer that John Coltrane worked with towards the end of career, the great free jazz period for Trane. The opening of this tune is as free form as this album gets. The licks from Ravi sound almost exactly like John Coltrane, note for note. The difference is in the tone of the saxophone. This is some true ECM free jazz style stuff. The hardcore free jazz for the purists. From Ravi Coltrane this style of playing is pretty rare so its exciting to hear him playing like his dad. Jack's drumming is phenomenal as well. The entire song sounds like a drum solo but its all in time flowing with the saxophone. Another thing to note is that this is a drums and sax only song, just like how Trane and Rashied Ali recorded just them two together for some stuff back in the day. They are honoring the jazz ancestors and they're doing it with love and extreme musicality.

Lastly, we have Soulful Ballad. This is another ballad. It's not a real jazz album unless there's a couple ballads to balance things out. Amiright folks? It opens with a light hearted melody and sax line. Piano chords and note clusters give the song rhythm rather than drums as there are no drums here. I can hear some interesting things going on in the music. It sounds like they are playing higher notes of the chords on piano, bass, and sax. When played together it sounds very soothing. A great way to end a great album.

All in all this was a great Christmas gift from my stepfather and one of the best free jazz albums I've heard in a long time. Check this album out, you can find the tunes in bits and pieces on YouTube.

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