translation by Lorenzo Sanguedolce
Looking at the cover, with a man sitting peacefully, holding a newspaper in his hand that reads *War is a Racket*, behind him a peace symbol, you might think that you are about to hear the album of a rock-and-roll artist or a singer-songwriter. However, this man is Richard Tabnik, one of the great contemporary alto sax players, who has been playing in pianist Connie Crothers* quartet for years and who is now leading his own trio with bassist Adam Lane and drummer Roger Mancuso. The two sidemen are vastly experienced musicians, Lane with his projects in the realm of free music, including orchestral contexts, and Mancuso, who played for many years with Lennie Tristano and Warne Marsh, and for years has been a stable fixture in Connie Crothers* quartet. The sound of Tabnik*s sax, calmly advancing against the rhythm, and the quotes from famous standards throughout the statement give this disc a unique fascination. And this is beyond the message of peace, which places this album in the company of those famous recordings from the Liberation Orchestra to Sonny Rollins and Max Roach. Every note has its own inflection and pronunciation, the claim of a certain autonomy in that which is the world of contemporary jazz. One can hear the influence of his former teacher, Lee Konitz, whom he specifically thanks in the album credits, along with John Zorn, who invited him to the Stone, the mythical avant-garde venue in New York. Tabnik inhabits the traditions of jazz, just as his two sidemen, yet he manages to convey an original message along with an absolute mastery in his command of improvisation. The three know how to blend and present themselves to the audience with a precise group identity, original as individual instrumentalists and as a trio. It is not difficult to distinguish them from their colleagues! The first disc is a studio recording, the second a live recording from the Stone. Both are comprised of a pair of spontaneously improvised tracks followed by the suite, Symphony for Jazz Trio / A Prayer for Peace. The two versions, live and in-studio, each have their own fascination, and either one could easily be your favorite. With this kind of improviser, each track could be performed a multitude of times, but every version would highlight new aspects. Along with their message of peace is the beauty of these takes and the originality of the music, which insure that they will not soon be forgotten.
Label: New Artists Records
Anno: 2013
Tracklist
CD #1 Studio Set
Improvised Tunes
01. Unfasten Your Mindbelt
02. Let’s Go!
03. Streaming
04. Toroid Affair
05. Luminosity
Symphony for Jazz Trio:
A Prayer for Peace
06. Drum Call
07. The Call for Liberty and Justice for All
08. Homeless
09. What About the Homeless?
10. Prayer
11. A Prayer for Peace
12. Recapitulation:
No Alternative to Peace & Justice
CD #2 Live at The Stone, NYC
Improvised Tunes
01. Smile My Baby
02. Linearity
Symphony for Jazz Trio:
A Prayer for Peace
03. Drum Call
04. The Call for Liberty and Justice for All
05. Homeless
06. What About the Homeless?
07. Prayer
08. A Prayer for Peace / Recapitulation:
No Alternative to Peace & Justice
09. Duly Noted
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