Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Mark Dresser Quintet: Nourishments

7

Mark Dresser Quintet: Nourishments

By

Sign in to view read count
Track review of "Rasaman"

Mark Dresser Quintet: Nourishments
Influential master bassist Mark Dresser leads his first quintet outing in nearly two decades. His complex compositions span an abundance of odd-metered time signatures, whether the song forms are buoyant, temperate or soul-searching. It's a very involved storyline that yields fruitful rewards. Indeed, the program is a kaleidoscopic ride that includes brash or probing solos by saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa and trombonist Michael Dressen. But it's Dresser himself who maintains command and control by steering the band through these progressive and slightly off-kilter movements, fringing on the avant-garde spectrum. Moreover, the leader provides a play-by-play on a per-track basis in the album liner notes.

One of many highlights is "Rasaman," which was originally written for sitarist Kartik Seshadri. As Dresser states, "[t]he piece phases a seven-bar melody in 5/8 over a five-bar bass line in 7/8." It's serious-minded compositional fare, but the quintet pulls it off in such a way as signifies a balanced attainment between sophistication and pure entertainment. A bouncy and undulating rhythmic current serves as the backbone, where the hornists' ascending and singing note lines ride atop drummer Michael Sarin's snappy rim-shots and peppery tom rolls, leading to a melodic primary theme that is, at times, somber.

The piece contains rich textures and dense layers, sprinkled by pianist Denman Maroney's upper-register contrasts. Nonetheless, Dresser's superlatively engineered processes offer the soloists ample breathing room, as Mahanthappa's rapid-fire lines during the bridge precede the subtly changeable finale as the band reformulates the primary theme. Hands down, Nourishments is one of the top entries in the progressive jazz idiom for 2013.

Track Listing

Not Withstanding; Canales Rose; Para Waltz; Nourishments; Apertivo; Rasa; Telemojo.

Personnel

Mark Dresser
bass, acoustic

Mark Dresser: contrabass; Rudresh Mahanthappa: alto saxophone; Michael Dessen: trombone; Denman Maroney: hyper-piano; Tom Rainey: drums; Michael Sarin: drums.

Album information

Title: Nourishments | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Clean Feed Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
View events near San Diego
Jazz Near San Diego
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.