Lina Allemano: Canons

Capping twenty years of running Lumo Records—a record label dedicated to her multifarious projects—with Canons, trumpeter Lina Allemano has assembled several innovative ensembles to give voice to her distinctive chamber-jazz aesthetic. While it might not be as obviously adventurous as some of her previous releases, it retains Allemano's signature emphasis on finding the ideal pivot point between composition and improvisation. And it is often a quite beautiful listening experience as well.

Allemano has always been a crafty improviser, but it is her remarkable precision which stands out on the overdubbed opener, "3 Trumpet Canon," where her three crisply-articulated trumpet parts dovetail in eminently logical ways. However, even here we get a glimpse of Allemano's mischievous side, as she gradually steers each line away from its melodic center to something much more abstract, with percussive breathing ushering the track to its conclusion— without melody, yet somehow remaining within the canon form, as each part echoes and responds to the others. Allemano's maverick tendencies also take center stage in her duos with Mike Smith, whose real-time electronic manipulations both harness the creative potential of the canon and add atmospheric texture to Allemano's improvised lines, heard to especially fine effect on "Shadows." On "Wilds," a distorted mute brings out other dimensions of Allemano's playing as Smith cleverly refracts and counters her various moves.

But, as is always the case with Allemano, even at her most unorthodox moments there is usually an assertive lyricism that emerges. A subtle beauty takes shape in "Twinkle Tones," a piece in which Allemano is joined by guitarist Tim Posgate and bassist Rob Clutton, with Ryan Driver contributing synth parts. Moving from an initially tentative exploration of texture, the track finds its way toward a radiant epiphany, with Allemano's soaring lines taking flight. Most lovely of all is "Bobby's Canon," a three-part canon featuring cellist Peggy Lee and clarinetist Brodie West. Here Allemano joins her colleagues in a graceful reverie which expertly channels each of their individual voices, leaving room for improvisational creativity while still staying within the piece's gravitational center.

A delightful album which reveals additional facets of Allemano's artistry, Canons is also a fine celebration of Lumo Records' first twenty years, hopefully with many more to come.