Michael McNeill: Barcode Poetry

Pianist Michael McNeill approaches music like an abstract painter. Thus his work is dynamic, multi-hued, and textured. The captivating Barcode Poetry, his fourth album as a leader, finds him expanding his palette with unorthodox instrumentation. His quartet includes, in addition to trumpeter Dave Ballou and percussionist Shelly Purdy, innovative pedal guitarist Susan Alcorn whose passing a few months after this music was recorded adds poignancy.

"Timeigrant" opens with McNeill's percussive chords in a dramatic tone. Ballou echoes the pianist's tense phrases; the dialogue then diverges into complementary and equally stimulating streams of consciousness. Alcorn's strings add a fantastical element to the tune. As the tempo slows the mood becomes nocturne-esque. Purdy enhances the ambiance with her resonant mallets and bells. Alcorn and Purdy conclude with a brief and haunting lullaby.

The title track starts with Ballou's crystalline melody. McNeill's sparse keys, Alcorn's reverberating lines, and Purdy's chiming mallets envelope Ballou's trumpet as the group inventively embellishes the main theme. Together, the foursome builds a layered performance that showcases its seamless inner synergy. The individual "monologues" coalesce to form a lyrical piece, albeit with touches of dissonance.

The first take of "As a Metaphor" is somber and unfolds with subtlety and panache. McNeill, Alcorn, and Purdy mix their musings into an otherworldly communal improvisation that is mellifluous even when it flirts with dissonance. Ballou adds a soulful edge to the ensemble sound with his burnished notes. The introspective interplay that follows is provocative and moving and sets the stage for McNeill's bluesy solo.

The second version of this memorable composition features Alcorn's eloquent and emotive guitar at the beginning. The performance here is rather cinematic with jagged sonic fragments and a greater use of silent pauses to a hypnotic effect. The spontaneous exchanges are more fiery and muscular leading to a delightfully expectant atmosphere.

Over a decade and a half McNeill has matured as an artist without losing his sense of adventure or his explorative spirit. Barcode Poetry is the culmination of this growth and his best recording to date. In addition to contributing highly original material, McNeill deftly leads this imaginative collective of like-minded musicians through this exciting session, making for a rewarding listening experience.