Theo Jorgensmann Quartet: To Ornette - Hybrid Identity

Clarinetist Theo Jorgensmann’s discography, namely for the “hatOLOGY” record label, speaks intrinsic volumes. The title of this effort might intimate an obvious Ornette Coleman tribute, but the quartet merely skirts the fringes of Mr. Coleman’s pronounced musical ideologies. In fact, none of these pieces were written by Coleman, as the Hybrid Identity implications simply signify the guiding tone of the overall production. The band incorporates Coleman’s harmolodic concepts to a degree. However the musicians perpetuate a personalized game plan, awash with Jorgensmann and vibraphonist Christopher Dell’s complexly woven unison lines. The soloists employ crisscrossing themes atop the rhythm section’s swarming and sometimes, circular pulses. Where Jorgensmann’s radiant musings are augmented by his free-bop approach and soul-drenched sense of swing.

On the title track “Hybrid Identity,” the group renders a garrulous set of exchanges, marked by punctuating choruses and turbulent underpinnings. Here, they pursue a faint yet philanthropic kinship with Coleman’s blanketed concepts as they redirect those sensibilities into a launching pad for expansion. With “Veneta,” the band executes a free flowing and altogether airy sequence of grooves marked by ethereal undercurrents and dissimilar tonalities. Hence, the quartet instills additional hope for modern jazz via this superbly configured exposition. (Vigorously recommended)

hatOLOGY

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