Oles Brothers with Rob Brown: Live At SJC (2010)

Mark Corroto

Senior Contributor since 1999

Mark misses his large dog Louie, but endeavors daily to find and listen to new and interesting sounds.

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Published: April 16, 2010

Oles Brothers with Rob Brown: Live At SJC

It's funny how certain jazz players find other kindred spirits to play with. Where would Ornette Coleman Ornette Coleman
b.1930
sax, alto have been if he hadn't found Charlie Haden Charlie Haden
b.1937
bass, acoustic ? Or McCoy Tyner McCoy Tyner
b.1938
piano without John Coltrane John Coltrane
1926 - 1967
saxophone ? Like minds always seem to find and sometimes track down each other. Such is the case with the Polish brothers Marcin Oles (bass) and Bartlomiej Brat Oles (drums) recording with American saxophonist Rob Brown Rob Brown
b.1962
saxophone .

The brothers' previous outings have included collaborations with Kenny Werner Kenny Werner
b.1951
piano Shadows (Fenomedia, 2006), Theo Jorgensmann Theo Jorgensmann
b.1948
clarinet Alchemia (hatOLOGY, 2007), Herb Robertson Herb Robertson
b.1951
trumpet Live at Alchemia (Nottwo Records, 2007), and Ken Vandermark Ken Vandermark
b.1964
saxophone Ideas (Nottwo Records, 2005). Their jazz sense has roots in the freedom of 1960s America as it percolated throughout Europe and reappeared in Chicago, Wuppertal and Umea.

The disc opens with a 30-minute energy piece, the "Here & Now Suite" in three parts. Brown, who previously worked with William Parker William Parker
b.1952
bass, acoustic , Joe Morris Joe Morris
b.1955
guitar and Matthew Shipp Matthew Shipp
b.1960
piano , is quite comfortable in this setting. The three often change pace, but keep up a relentless torrent power. And satisfying enough, the trio has a few more weapons in their arsenal. "Ash Tree" displays a slower (can we say softer?), more amenable bit of playing. Brown's tranquil lines open the track to the bowed bass and drum accents. The trio's tension/release equation is set aside here to tap into new emotion.

The highlight of the recording might be "Monkey's Hour," a masterpiece of free-bop and energy jazz. From an understated, almost modest drum solo opening, Bartlomiej Brat Oles' composition unfurls into an angular lurching piece that includes a down current ride of precipitous speed and high-wire agility which the brothers and Brown maneuver with a nonchalant sprezzatura worthy of the audience's hearty praise.

Track Listing: Here & Now Suite: 1. Part I--Past; Part II--Present; Part III--Future; Rebeaming; Black Eagle; Ash Tree; Monkey's Hour.

Personnel: Rob Brown: alto saxophone; Marcin Oles: double bass; Bartlomiej Brat Oles: drums.

Record Label: Fenommedia
Style: Modern Jazz