Julian Arguelles: Momenta

During the 1980s, Arguelles spent four years as a member of the fondly remembered, prankster-ish, 21-piece British band Loose Tubes, the finishing school for several other emergent talents including keyboard player Django Bates, saxophonists Ian Ballamy and Mark Lockheart, guitarist John Parricelli, and Arguelles' drummer and percussionist brother, Steve Arguelles. Less media attuned and more self-effacing than some of his fellow Loose Tubes graduates, Arguelles remains uncelebrated outside a relatively small circle of musicians and cognoscenti, despite making a string of superb albums with a wide variety of lineups, from small groups to a 20-piece string ensemble, since 1990.

Arguelles began working with the Frankfurt Radio Bigband in 2007, and Momenta was recorded live in Germany in 2008. The inclusion of Simcock, a gorgeously lyrical player, came about by chance, following the unexpected unavailability of the band's regular pianist. Arguelles made the most of the situation, adjusting several scores to feature Simcock, who solos on five of the seven tracks. Other soloists include trumpeter/flugelhornist Axel Schlosser and guitarist Martin Scales, each of whom solos on two tracks. Arguelles, who here restricts himself to tenor and soprano saxophones, solos on six tracks, mostly on tenor.

The tunes, a collection of originals old and new, are given suite-like cohesion by Arguelles' school of Gil Evans arrangements. Like Evans, Arguelles has a penchant for Hispanic flavors—after a pensive beginning, the arrangement of 1996's "Skull View" breaks into an intense second section punctuated by flamenco-like hand-claps and a wordless, soulful vocal refrain from trumpeter Tobias Weidinger—but unlike Evans, he's significantly informed by the European classical tradition, particularly its impressionist composers. Most of tunes are closely arranged, the exception being "Evan's Freedom Pass," which after a brassy, urgent opening section sounding like an updated 1950s TV cop show theme, evolves into an extended free-improv duet from Arguelles and Schlosser.

Arguelles and Simcock, who as soloists are the twin focus of the album, are well matched. Both are wonderfully melodic improvisers and Arguelles' occasional acerbic chromaticism is an effective complement to Simcock's unabating romanticism. Guitarist Scales, who contributes a flowing in-the-tradition solo to "Skull View" and some post-Jimi Hendrix, wah-wah soaked atmosphere to "Mish Mash," is another pleasure.

A sterling and absorbing disc which delivers the same sense of solace as a beautiful landscape.

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