The essence of eskelin
Adolph Pinelad | Montreal, Quebec Canada | 03/15/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
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Ellery Eskelin - tenor sax
Drew Gress - Bass
Phil Haynes - Drums
On this album you can clearly hear what happens to pretty standard jazz forms when played by an auteur. The name `Forms' is pretty self-explanatory. Eskelin is working with different musical structures or forms. And even though each take has its form pre-established, this is Eskelin interpreting. So he stretches and explores each form fully. The results are spectacular in typical Ellery fashion. The work is beautifully recorded and the poetry in it subtle. You can feel how a simple exercise in styles is actually not that at all, but something fully organic and expressive in its own right, yet the work is safely anchored in its given structure. This is jazz of illusion. Simplicity hides the totally developed workings of a master saxophonist. This is a great transition album. It points the way to more avant-garde enterprises but is totally easy on the ears. Well. Almost. It is still quite cerebral compared to more mainstream and rancid run-of-the-mill jazz records out there. Maybe a little too clean (no grungy, gritty feel), but that is also a refreshing change compared to most free-laden jazz improvisations. All compositions are Eskelin originals except for African Flower by Ellington and Bebop by Gillespie.
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Track Listings (7) - Disc #1