The Multi-Tasking State of David Binney 2010

C. Michael Bailey

Senior Contributor since 1997

...wants to know if Gene Harris is playing "Summertime" in Heaven...

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Published: May 21, 2010

Saxophonist David Binney has been a ubiquitous presence in jazz since his first recording, Point Game (Owl, 1989), both as a leader and a sideman. So prolific is Binney, that any multiple-disc review featuring him will be dated immediately. Well, so be it, this is a summer 2010 snapshot of some of the recent activity of this very busy and talented saxophonist/producer. It features Binney first as leader and then in the company of drummer Adriano Santos and bassist Alper Yilmaz.

David Binney
Aliso
Criss Cross
2010

Aliso is Binney's much anticipated follow-up to 2009's excellent Third Occasion (Mythology Records). It is a bit of a brilliant throwback to the "blowing session" days of 1960s Blue Note Records, where the musicians come together with little or no practice and produce a masterpiece—think of saxophonist Art Pepper's Meets The Rhythm Section (Contemporary, 1957). For Aliso, Binney and company had previously been on different tours, all returning to New York City the night before the recording date.

Like many of the famous dates of the past, Aliso combines original compositions with ostensible standards. The crucial word here is ostensible. Binney pulls from the songbooks of saxophonists/composers Wayne Shorter, Sam Rivers and John Coltrane, and pianist/composer Thelonious Monk. There is nary a Tin Pan Alley tune to be heard among the nine pieces present. Binney draws from a more recent pool of compositions, specifically jazz compositions. No lyrics cloud the issue of this music. It is all notes and staves. The sum of these parts is very progressive acoustic jazz that is as uncompromising as it is nostalgic in its conception.

Binney is joined by musicians with whom he has worked in the past and with whom he shares a certain empathy. Pianist Jacob Sacks, who played on Binney's 2005 Bastion of Sanity (Criss Cross), and is part of his New York City rhythm section, spars effectively with the leader on Shorter's "Toy Tune" while turning in a perfectly angular and integrated solo on the same. Guitarist Wayne Krantz is such a potent presence he can be regarded as the grain of sand this organic quintet takes and turns into a pearl. His solos on the title track and Coltrane's "Africa" are steeped in pathos and creativity.

Binney is in top form (is there ever a time when he is not?). His composing and soloing are intense reminders that giants still walk among us, doing giant things. On the alto saxophone, Binney has no current peer. His muscular tone, informed by a keen creativity, makes his art one to watch closely. Binney remains a nuclear presence in jazz, pushing boundaries while never painting himself into a creative corner.

Visit David Binney on the web.

Adriano Santos Quintet
In Session
KingJazzAD Music
2010

Brazilian drummer percussionist Adriano Santos has most recently been tending his trade with Hendrick Meurkens and the New York Samba Jazz Quintet, appearing on Sambatropolis (Zoho, 2009) and New York Samba Jazz Quintet (Zoho, 2006). After finishing his conservatory training at Berklee College of Music, Santos moved to New York City in 1995, enrolling in City College of New York. Since that time, Santos has been a fixture in the area, providing expert guidance in all things pertaining to Latin rhythm.

Music lore supports the genesis of Latin jazz as first performed by Machito and His Afro-Cubans, lead by musical director Mario Bauza. Bauza composed the first Latin jazz piece "Tanga" in spring 1943, using jazz instruments and solo improvisation. "Tanga" was based on the clave rhythm, defined as a five-stroke rhythmic pattern (3-2/2-3) ubiquitous to Latin jazz. What the clave rhythm gave rise to was the integral importance of drums and percussion to the jazz genre, a musical relationship that is genetically linked. Percussion is the heartbeat of Latin jazz and it is one beautiful arrhythmia.

Santos received a degree in movie scoring from Berkley, a talent he puts to full use on In Session. "From The Lonely Afternoons" displays Santos' considerable abilities to coax any number of sounds and moods from both his kit and band. The piece begins with organic pastoral sounds from the cymbals, layered with wooden rub shots, bass runs and babbling brook piano. Then enters the clave rhythm on the snare rim. Binney provides some of his most focused ensemble playing, proving his soothing command of the Brazilian vibe. Binney is every bit as effective as Bobby Watson, also a master this Latin sound.

Binney, who produces In Session with the leader, solos and comps clear-eyed and tempo perfect. Santos gracefully shares the space with him, but not at the expense of the percussion focus. The two—with rhythm section Helio Alves (piano), David Ambrosio (bass),and Dende (percussion)—extract a certain magic from the indigenous South American terrain that is conveyed with crystal clarity.

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