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George Schuller: JigSaw
Schuller is not just a “head in, solos, head out” jazz composer. His pieces, while leavened with generous improv zones, are often, like classical music, through-composed, compelling the sympathetic listener to stick around till the end. His use of standard jazz forms is thoughtful and all the more entertaining for his and the ensemble’s wit and dexterity at exploiting them. It’s the mixture of classical jazz and new classical musics that defines Schuller’s work, though. The title of track four, “Distant Cousin” (another piece that starts out sounding more new music than jazz), in fact might refer to this genre mixage. JigSaw is yet another recording that will have to be filed in the jazz section, but which is really an addition to that growing, imaginary section that might be called “third stream.”
While Schuller and company have not invented any earth-shattering new forms here (who’s doing that in jazz anyway?), JigSaw is worth a listen. Ballou’s solos are standouts, and Schuller’s drumming holds it all together capably. Catch Schuller live with his band, the Schulldogs, and hear how the qualities inherent in JigSaw come to bright life in performance.
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Track Listing
Ripe; Punta d'Blues; Band Vote; Distant Cousin; Tip Jar; Comeuppance; Tense (Suite) - Pre-Tense, Tension, Past Tense; Band Vote (The Recount).
Personnel
George Schuller
drumsDave Ballou: trumpet, flugelhorn; Tony Malaby: tenor and soprano saxophones; Mark Feldman: violin (1, 2, 6, 7); Matt Dariau: clarinet, bass clarinet and tenor saxophone (1, 2-6, 8);Curtis Hasselbring: trombone and guitar (1, 5, 6); Howard Johnson: bass clarinet and tuba (2, 7); Ed Schuller: bass; George Schuller: drums, cymbals, bells, things you shake.
Album information
Title: Jigsaw | Year Released: 2004 | Record Label: 482 Music