Alexander Hawkins & Taylor Ho Bynum: A Near Permanent State Of Wonder

Nearly two decades after first crossing paths in the transatlantic Convergence Quartet, cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum and pianist Alexander Hawkins reunite on A Near Permanent State Of Wonder, a recording that finds their rapport undimmed and their curiosity intact. In the intervening period Hawkins has become one of the most in demand pianists in Europe, as collaborations with the likes of Anthony Braxton, Shabaka Hutchings, Evan Parker and Tomeka Reid testify. Bynum, likewise an alumnus of Braxton, as well as of Cecil Taylor and Bill Dixon, has meanwhile consolidated his position as one of the most expressionistic of brassmen.

In 2024 they renewed acquaintance in a New Haven studio for a set comprising six charts from the pianist's pen, along with two covers of Dixon pieces. Sometimes elusive, the material rarely conforms to expectations. Rather than act as straitjackets the compositions function as frameworks off which the pair hangs scintillating interplay. Both cornetist and pianist combine extraordinary dexterity and formidable resources, but these attributes remain secondary to a dialogue full of wit, contrast, and playful impulse.

They elevate the exchanges by varying their instrumental voices to engage and enthrall. Bynum wields a litany of expressive effects, from evoking a child's garrulous squeaky toy come to life to vertiginous register leaps, from rough-hewn graininess to classical purity, lines extended to prodigious lengths. Hawkins weaves preparations into his virtuosic stream better than ever, adding canny coloration, whether dampened thuds or gamelan clangs, while also performing a foundational role as a chordal instrument.

The choice of covers plays to Bynum's stengths. The cornetist imbues Dixon's melodies with a heartbreakingly plaintive hue, like a species of lullaby on "X (Index)," before undercutting any sentiment by dissipating into a buzzy drone. Or along similar lines on "Q (Index)," this time on flugelhorn, where he exploits series of tuneful fragments as the seed for experimentation, either fraying multiphonics or whimpering mutters, inspiring Hawkins to kalimba-like piano or music box sonorities in tandem. The pianist likewise embraces lyricism: On the tender ballad "Song Of Clarity" he scripts a Spanish tinge lovingly rendered by Bynum, which spawns a rhapsodic piano excursion with just the right amount of vinegar.

Few contemporary duos balance invention and intimacy so effortlessly. Each interaction sidesteps norms to generate exactly what the title suggests.