All Star Quartet + brass
Scott Williams | Oakland, CA United States | 03/15/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Dave Binney has produced another epic album with his latest release 3rd occasion. Binney is joined by an all star quartet featuring Scott Colley on bass, Craig Taborn on piano, and Brian Blade on drums. What differentiates this album from other Binney albums is that this one features a background brass section headlined by trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. This brass section is not used for soloing or as headliners, but rather to provide depth to the themes and melody. The effect is reminiscent of how Herbie Hancock used horns on Speak Like a child, or how John Scofield used horns on This Meets That.
Song Highlights:
Blood of Cities - This somber song opens up with an airy wandering melody that reminds me a bit of Wayne Shorter. About 3 minutes in Taborn has a long but pretty piano solo.
Here is all the love I have - This is my favorite track on the CD. The title is perfect. Binney lays it all down and gives the song everything he has. He really pours his heart out here. The effect of the brass in the background, really adds to Binney's solo and the overall effect is quite dramatic. Also, there is some really nice bass work here by Colley.
Squares and Places - This song features some great Dave Binney song writing. The song opens with probing bass line, and then contrasting piano and sax lines are nicely layered over the top, each line zig zagging around the other.
This CD seems to have somewhat of a Wayne Shorter esc tone. I don't know if that was intentional or not, but it perhaps a little bit prettier/ flowerier than the typical Binney CD. While there are many epic anthems here, I don't think it quite reaches the heights of my favorite Binney CDs, South and Out of Airplanes.
"
Gracefully adept
hanyi ishtouk | Budapest, Hungary | 11/02/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"stylistically consistent concept album. Saxman David Binney has a penchant for creating compositions that grow wings into alluring modern jazz, avantgarde material from rather simple, at times almost folk(ish) motifs. Accordingly, of particular merit are the beautiful and pensive theme of 'this naked sunday'; the sweeping dynamic being exhibited on 'explaining what's hidden,' with a virtuosic piano solo that really delivers thanks to Craig Taborn (also on tr. 2, 4, 8); and the song called 'blood of cities' where drummer Brian Blade's articulation in breaking up the rhythm is essential.
The remainder includes tunes like the restless 'squares and palaces,' which features vortexlike interaction among the core musicians, leaning toward atonalism and pushing structural boundaries; or the impressionistic and nuancely inflected 'here is all the love I have,' with a bass solo by Scott Colley invoking sentiments of americana. The 4-member horn section is employed for brief episodes to add tonal colouring and to provide a frame (tr. 1, 9) for real substance.
"
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1