Search - Vandermark 5 :: Burn The Incline

V5 make it four in a row

R. Hutchinson | a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds | 08/16/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The fourth annual release from the Vandermark 5 is another great set of cutting edge jazz, all composed by Ken Vandermark. It may be their most accessible yet, following on last year's noir-inflected SIMPATICO. One unique feature of this band is the way the texture changes across a disc depending on whether Jeb Bishop is playing trombone or guitar -- he excels on both, and sometimes changes in the middle of a cut. Kent Kessler on bass starts things off on "Distance," joined by a middle eastern-sounding clarinet and drums, and then guitar, for a mysterious sounding intro. "The Cooler" is slightly skewed hard bop, with great trombone and sax solos. "Late Night Wait Around" is a slow, smoky, noirish blues. "Roulette" is a patented Vandermark composition with a percussive horn chart that keeps spinning around and around. "Accident Happening," dedicated to New York bassist William Parker, is the most Out piece on the album, with agitated cries from sax and bone, a free percussion segment, and then all three horns blowing in dissonant unity and out. "In Focus" is a slow, swinging groove with Wes-style guitar. "The Trouble Is" is a mournful blues shuffle, again a noir ambience. Finally, "Ground" bats last with aggressive, heavy swinging trombone bass and drums, followed by screaming sax over distorted guitar feedback.



When I saw/heard the V5 at the Empty Bottle in Chicago last summer, Dave Rempis was an outstanding complement to Vandermark on sax, playing mostly alto. (Mars Williams left the band with the success of his Liquid Soul group, and Rempis broadens the sound, as Williams, like Vandermark, played mainly tenor.) Vandermark deserves the acclaim he has received, but this band also includes some of the best young players on their instruments today in Tim Mulvenna on drums, Kent Kessler on bass, and Jeb Bishop on trombone. From SINGLE PIECE FLOW (1997) to TARGET OR FLAG (1998) to SIMPATICO (1999) to BURN THE INCLINE, the V5 are relentless! Every one these discs has been among the best new jazz of the year, and BURN is no exception!



2005 UPDATE -- In retrospect, the V5's best recordings were TARGET OR FLAG and SIMPATICO. If you're checking out the group, I'd recommend those first, then SINGLE PIECE FLOW, BURN THE INCLINE and ACOUSTIC MACHINE (2001). The more recent recordings from 2003 and 2004 are not as compelling."

Ken does it again...

Mr. Mark | Canada | 01/11/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I would ignore the "disappointed" review. Ken Vandermark is, I believe, only the 3rd jazz player to get a MacArthur grant, preceded by two free jazz giants, Cecil Taylor and Anthony Braxton. Clearly these large grants (over $300 000 I think) are not given out to shoddy players as "disappointed" seems to suggest KV is. I have met him, and seen him play live twice, once with his unit "steam" (very compelling performance) and once in a very unusual setting playing a nearly 30 minute ferocious and totally amazing duet on tenor with Fred Van Hove on pipe organ in a large hall behind and above (ie. invisible to)the audience (at a noise festival in London Canada). He is a very serious dude and totally committed to his music.To get back to burn the incline, this is 5 star material without a question. Compositionally and technically amazing as well as in his choice of instrumentation. I really wonder if "disappointed" actually knows enough about free jazz (or perhaps jazz in general)to be competently reviewing it? Besides it is even stretching it a bit to call this record free jazz. It has elements of free jazz in it, but interspersed with his own take on different forms of more traditional jazz as well. I would recommend this as a good place to start in KV's prolific output and go from there, if you are truly interested in modern jazz."

He didn't get a MacArthur foundation grant for nothing ....

Troy Collins | Lancaster, PA United States | 05/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Vandermark has garnered a rather large audience in the indie community and I can see why. As cross-over music goes, this is the best stuff out there. If you?re looking for powerful and uncompromising jazz played by people who are involved in "the scene", the Vandermark 5 is the place to start. Ken also leads trios, quartets, duos and other formats that haven't even been revealed as of yet, but this is his most consistent touring ensemble.As far as the actual music is concerned, here is a brief synopsis :"Distance" and "In Focus" are the two most Mingus-like tracks on the album, complete with tempo changes and multi-part thematic sections. Cool swingin' parts alternate with chugging funk rhythms and sprightly free-bop runs. There are also a pair of film noir-esque ballad pieces in "Late Night Wait Around" and "The Trouble Is". "The Cooler" and "Roulette" are both quickly paced free-bop pieces with a nice BlueNote-era feel to them. "Accident Happening" and "Ground" round out the album with some hard core free jazz blowing complete with wicked AACM school (think Art Ensemble of Chicago, Muhal Richard Abrams or Anthony Braxton) horn charts and lots of collective improv and call and response playing. All the players fit their solo style to the pieces being played, keeping it easy and mellow on the serene chamber pieces and playing with fire and aggression on the more free pieces. With a 5 piece line up that encompasses two horn players with a selection of five different saxophones / clarinets between them, a trombonist / electric guitarist (with a predilection for feedback) and an upright bassist and drummer, they have just about every sound world / genre covered."