Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Machine Mass feat. Dave Liebman: Inti

12

Machine Mass feat. Dave Liebman: Inti

By

Sign in to view read count
Machine Mass feat. Dave Liebman: Inti
Renowned saxophonist Dave Liebman's legacy as a musician who radiates illimitable vigor and a broad artistic expanse, hearkens back to his stint with Miles Davis and seemingly countless collaborations with a who's who in jazz amid an extensive resume as a leader. On this supercharged jazz-fusion gala he is the featured artist with spiraling young star, Belgium guitarist Michel Delville (The Wrong Object), ace drummer Tony Bianco (Elton Dean, and Alexander von Schlippenbach).

Delville's stinging phraseology, angular wah-wah licks, foreboding crunch chords, and Bianco's springy beats generate a simmering, multi-tempo gala as Liebman often sprays bullets across the studio when he's not scaling elevated peaks. Several passages boast a rough and tumble hardcore gait, and during "Centipede," the trio gels to a red hot bop express, complemented with some free-form jazz rock movements. However, Joe Zawinul's classic "In A Silent Way," is given a worldly makeover, partly due to Liebman's ethereal wooden flute lines atop the drummer's sweeping polyrhythms. Here, the musicians execute a flourishing modality, but shift the tide when Liebman switches to soprano sax and guides his cohorts into a more literal reading of the primary theme.

Vocalist Saba Twelde injects an intermission of sorts into the mix on the ambient electronic ballad "The Secret Place," which may have been intended to serve as a change of pace. Nonetheless, the trio preserves the steamy milieu on the 12-minute piece "Elisabeth," heightened by Delville's doomsday riffs, asymmetrical pulse, and a portentously designed climactic buildup, boosted by the saxophonist's capricious soprano sax escapades. Nonetheless, Machine Mass goes for the knockout blow via this feisty and rebel rousing exhibition that contains a surfeit of diametric contrasts and smoldering exchanges.

Track Listing

Inti; Centipede; Lloyd; In A Silent Way; A Sight; Utoma; The Secret Place; Elisabeth; Voice.

Personnel

Machine Mass
band / ensemble / orchestra
Michel Delville
guitar, electric
Dave Liebman
saxophone, soprano

Michel Delville: guitar, Roland GR09, electronics; Tony Bianco: drums, loops, percussion; Dave Liebman: soprano & tenor saxophone, wooden flute; Saba Tewelde: vocals (7).

Album information

Title: Inti | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Moonjune Records

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.