Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » David Bixler and Arturo O'Farrill: The Auction Project

David Bixler and Arturo O'Farrill: The Auction Project

By C. Michael Bailey
September 17, 2010
View read count

Track review of "Heptagonesque"

David Bixler and Arturo O'Farrill: The Auction Project

Stylistically, The Auction Project is slightly out-of-focus. It is ostensibly the meeting of Arturo O'Farrill's Irish-Latin roots at the corner of David Bixler and Heather Martin Bixler. However, there is much to endorse the music made here, not the least of which is the presence of the two Chico O'Farrill big band alumni. Bixler's "Heptagonesque" is the successful culmination of this Hispano-Celtic experiment, with its curious Middle Eastern flavor. Is it the curry? No, it's the violin.

Marked by a serpentine head introducing the piece, by the time O'Farrill begins soloing the tune has devolved into some impressive progressive jazz, perfectly captured in O'Farrill's 88 keys. There are several time shifts in the piece, with Bixler's solo backed by a lopping, sideways 4/4. The only real hint of the Celtic connection is Heather Bixler's sharp fiddle, but it is that same fiddle providing the landscape of both Limerick and Istanbul. This is forward-thinking music a little ahead of its time.

Track Listing

June 26th, 07; The Chicken Went To Scotland; Green Target; She Moves Through The Fair; Banish Misfortune; Heather's Waltz Part 1: O'Farrill's Welcome To Limerick, The Arragh Mountains; Heather's Waltz Part 2: Gan Aithne; Heptagonesque; Worth Dying For; Green Target--Take 2.

Personnel

David Bixler

saxophone

David Bixler: alto saxophone; Arturo O'Farrill: piano; Heather Martin Bixler: violin; Carlo Derosa: bass; Vince Cherico: drums; Roland Guerrero: percussion.

Album information

Title: The Auction Project | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Zoho Music

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Foxy
< Previous

Decoy and Joe McPhee: Oto
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.