Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Steve Lacy: Clinkers

Steve Lacy: Clinkers

By Robert Spencer
July 1, 2000
View read count

In an interview in Cadence magazine not too long ago, Steve Lacy spoke about the Sixties in highly unusual and unexpected terms, as a period when the baby was often thrown out with the bathwater as musicians threw out set forms and experimented. Lacy himself was, of course, one of the foremost experimenters. Although his sound is highly distinct and immediately recognizable, he has changed considerably since the Sixties - as he progressively incorporates the sonic discoveries of that period into more conventional musical frameworks.

Compare, for example, this rerelease of Clinkers, a 1977 solo soprano live date, with 1998's solo set Sands. The more recent set is much more straightforwardly melodic. As for Clinkers, well, it's more all over the sonic map. While "Trickles" is one of Lacy's patented spidery harmonic explorations, "Duck" is made up almost completely of noise effects. The other three tracks - "Coastline," "Micro Worlds," and "Clinkers" - partake liberally of outside-the-bar-line sounds.

So what's the result? Well, Lacy's music always has a strong coherence and grasp of continuity. One thing follows from another, audibly so. It isn't any different with Clinkers. These tracks may take a little more time to come to grips with than the accessible trio music Lacy's been making lately, but it's well worth the effort: like all of this master's music, these tracks are emotionally rich and noble, full of possibilities noted and realized. Highly recommended.

Steve Lacy, soprano saxophone.

Trickles / Duck / Coastline / Micro Worlds / Clinkers.

Personnel

Steve Lacy

saxophone, soprano

Album information

Title: Clinkers | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Hat Hut Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

A Chat With Eric Alexander
< Previous

Meet Carla Bley
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make 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.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves 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.