Birth: Birth

Just imagine a melding of 1970’s progressive-rock ideologies with the highly charged modern jazz dialogue witnessed in the late saxophonist Tom Chapin’s now legendary acoustic trio recordings. Simply put this band fuses lightning quick unison choruses with impossibly precise odd-metered rhythms amid Smith’s burning lines and crafty utilization of electronics. Recorded live at “Mr. Small’s Funhouse” in Pittsburgh, PA, the trio melds dark ambiance with jabbing yet tightly coordinated – in the pocket – rhythms along with more peaks, valleys, twists and turns one could possibly imagine within the confines of a 54-minute recording. Now, in lieu of exquisite chops and technical acumen, the band adheres to the unwritten code that places emphasis on strong material in accordance with intriguing dialogue and suspenseful episodic engagements witnessed on pieces such as “Subliminal Ink”, “Cows” and elsewhere. Hence, a thunderous and altogether adrenalized exhibition of sizzling interplay and staggering group dialogue that parallels the musician’s seemingly inherent flair for the dynamic. Recommended.

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