Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Tineke Postma/Greg Osby: Sonic Halo

12

Tineke Postma/Greg Osby: Sonic Halo

By

Sign in to view read count
Tineke Postma/Greg Osby: Sonic Halo
One of the most intriguing elements of saxophonists Tineke Postma's and Greg Osby's superb Sonic Halo is the way the co-leaders overlap their individual voices to create a uniquely multifaceted and harmonically integrated entity. Both Postma and Osby double on alto and soprano and their ideas, whether spontaneous or prewritten, flow seamlessly between them. This sublime exchange of musical concept is not at the expense of either artist's distinctive style.

The percolating, turbulent rhythmic vamps form the backdrop for "Facets." This simmering Osby composition features a provocative and captivating duet that matches Postma's pensive, rich tone with Osby's crisp, muscular one. The result is a passionate dialogue that delights with its intelligent eloquence and lyrical expression.

On Postma's cinematic "Nine Times a Night" they weave a captivating sonic tapestry with their haunting conversation. Osby's mordant phrases construct an angular framework through which meander Postma's darkly hued sinuous lines.

A subtle sense of the dramatic permeates most of the album "Melo," for instance, has the feel of an art house film's soundtrack. The mood is nostalgic with hints of melancholy as the saxophones alternate poetic improvisations. Pianist Matt Mitchell's lithe and elegant solo peppered with western classical hints bisects the track. Bassist Linda May Han Oh concludes the tune with her thrillingly agile and curiously complex monologue

Oh opens Postma's tense and exciting "Pleasant Affliction" with her unaccompanied reverberating strings. Drummer Dan Weiss follows with a thunderous and vibrant clamor while Mitchell joins, after a few bars, with his exhilarating whirl of notes. With the saxophonists' entry the group engages in edgy and cooperative embellishments of the main theme while simultaneously deconstructing and reconstituting it. The entire piece is made up of deceptively simple but intricately built brief, melodic fragments, which serve as fodder for an energetic and stimulating ensemble play.

Both Postma and Osby are subtle yet exquisite innovators and sophisticated and imaginative composers and performers. It is no surprise that their collaborative effort is a brilliant and articulate artistic statement that fascinates with its singular wit and enamors with its quiet charm.

Track Listing

Sea Skies; Facets; Source Code; Where I'm From; Nine Times A Night; Bottom Forty; Melo; Body And Soul; Pleasant Affliction

Personnel

Tineke Postma
saxophone, alto

Tineke Postma: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone; Greg Osby: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone; Matt Mitchell: piano, rhodes; Dan Weiss: drums; Linda Oh: bass.

Album information

Title: Sonic Halo | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Challenge 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

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

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.