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Donny McCaslin: Give and Go
ByAdd saxophonist Donny McCaslin and Give and Go to that list. Since arriving in New York in the early 1990s, McCaslin has become an increasingly in-demand player, as comfortable in Maria Schneider's large ensemble as in the more experimental Lan Xang, a collective with alto saxophonist David Binneywho coincidentally produced the Latin American-inflected Soar (Sunnyside, 2006), McCaslin's second disc this year. McCaslin also replaced Chris Potter in Dave Douglas' quintet and appeared on the trumpeter's Meaning & Mystery (Greenleaf, 2006), so this may well McCaslin's year to leap into the spotlight.
As different as these three records are, McCaslin links them with his fiery yet never over-the-top playing. His softspoken personality is almost paradoxical to passionate solos like the one on "Outlaw. The descending four-chord pattern at the core of the tune has a Metheny-like vibe, but with trumpeter John Swana hovering around McCaslin's theme and guitarist Steve Cardenas' accompanimentwarm like Metheny, but somehow more sharply definedit's but a passing reference.
McCaslin's exposure to broad musical opportunities informs his writing. The staggered rhythm of "Scrappy may be the foundation for a quirky Monk-like unison theme from McCaslin and Swana, but bassist Scott Colley and drummer Gene Jackson manage to make it swing, almost in spite of itself. McCaslin's solo builds with inexorable logic, using broad intervallic leaps and understated power to gradually boost its intensity. "Drift, on the other hand, is a more tempered piece, although Jackson's rubato-like elasticity lends its gentler veneer a constant sense of tension and release.
If this is McCaslin's year for greater exposure, Cardenas' playing on Give and Go ought to place him in higher definition as well. His accompaniment is supportive yet suggestive, while his solos combine a Frisell-like angularity with a stronger mainstream focus. Nowhere is this more evident than on the title track, where his solobeginning as a duet with Jacksonblends smooth legato lines and fluid arpeggios, becoming even more outré when Colley joins in. Clearly, Cardenas is a guitarist to watch, along with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Adam Rogers and Ben Monder.
The greatest difference between Give and Go and Soar is the former's more impromptu nature. Soar demonstrates McCaslin's more orchestral side, while Give and Go is a purer blowing session. Still, McCaslin's adventurous compositions and well-constructed yet evocative playingmirrored by the rest of the quintetmake it both a unique and logical entry in his growing discography.
Track Listing
Outlaw; Scrappy; Drift; Give and Go; The Liberator's Song; Two/Three; Doom Fuss; Eronel.
Personnel
Donny McCaslin
saxophone, tenorDonny McCaslin: tenor and soprano saxophones; John Swana: trumpet; Steve Cardenas: guitar; Scott Colley: bass; Gene Jackson: drums.
Album information
Title: Give And Go | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Criss Cross
Comments
About Donny McCaslin
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
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