Search - Tony Malaby :: Apparitions (Hybr)

Coming fully into his own.

greg taylor | Portland, Oregon United States | 01/02/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have known of Tony Malaby for awhile but always as a sideman. He has been a highlight of recent Tom Varner, Marty Ehrlich, Mark Helias and George Schuller albums. He plays in great company and has always more than held his own.
But this is the first time I have heard him as the leader and it makes me realize what I have been missing. Malaby has fully mastered his horn and has his own fully mature yet still developing style. In this sense, he belongs in the company of players like Ehrlich, George Garzone, Joe Lovano, and Ellery Eskelin.
On this CD, he features an all star downtown trio plus. By which I mean he is playing his tenor and soprano supported by Drew Gress on the bass and both Tom Rainey (right channel) and Michael Sarin (left channel) on the drums. One of the small miracles of this music is how well Rainey and Sarin play together. The percussion effect is never busy but complex and probing.
The result along with Gress' usual intelligent bass work is too prod Malaby into odd melodic forays. I love Malaby's style. He loves the tradition and has obviously been influenced by many in the free jazz and post-bop continuum yet definitely has his own way with a melody.
My only complaint with this music is that I do not feel his prowess as a composer is at quite the same level as his prowess as an improvisor. There is a sameness to the tunes that could have been broken up by including works by other composers, e.g., I would love to hear this group play something by Andrew Hill or Roscoe Mitchell or Henry Threadgill. But that is just me. Give this CD a listen. You will be rewarded whether you are a fan of drumming or masterful sax playing or sensitive group interplay."