Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Roscoe Mitchell: No Side Effects

342

Roscoe Mitchell: No Side Effects

By

Sign in to view read count
Roscoe Mitchell: No Side Effects
Very few musicians have made a first statement like Roscoe Mitchell's Sound, recorded for Delmark in 1966. Like the proverbial big bang's reverberations, all of his subsequent work consists of gestures from but not confined to that era and the freedom it fostered.

Mitchell's recordings can elicit a deeply intuitive but ultimately inexplicable sense of unification in the face of superficial diversity, and this newest double disc is no exception. The pieces can consist of the quickest whiplash and spike-driven trio squall, though, astonishingly, a degree of control is always in evidence. The aptly named "Flash is a case in point, Mitchell's quick-shod saxophone swirls skirting tempo with stunning precision while Harrison Bankhead provides rock-solid but supple bass accompaniment; Vincent Davis is similarly solid, enlarging Rashied Ali's sonic palette with slight hints of swing and funk.

Yet, it is Mitchell's repetitions, those fragmentary manifestations of eternal recurrence, that hint at the set's binding aesthetic. A track like "Poem demonstrates the other extreme, as long drones slowly drift, evolve, revert and disappear. Bankhead and Mitchell engage in the gorgeous counterpoint that has long been a part of Mitchell's compositional language; Davis breathes consent, exuding newly liquefied moments of glacial rumblings and slow waves.

The collection hinges on this fast/slow dialectic, each small part representative of the whole. The programming is as convincing as the playing, as Mitchell showcases flute, baritone saxophone and percussion cage on a diversely satisfying set of trio workouts, some composed and some improvised. Sometimes the lines are blurred so badly as to make those distinctions irrelevant—so much the better! This is as interesting and exciting a release as can be found in Mitchell's dauntingly large discography.

Track Listing

Poem; Flash; From Red to Rusk; Broken Pictures; Shake-up; Trio Four; No Side Effects; Frame Three; Shag Bark Hickory; Let's See; Ruddy; Vermillon; When the Wind Blows.

Personnel

Roscoe Mitchell
saxophone

Roscoe Mitchell: reeds, percussion; Harrison Bankhead: bass; Vincent Davis: drums.

Album information

Title: No Side Effects | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Rogue Art

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 New York City
Jazz Near New York City
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.