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MTKJ Quartet: Day of the Race
ByThe quartet swarms over "Swim Swim Swim, Eat Eat Eat," Mears blowing a disciplined circuitous route that resolves in duet with Tiner. Tiner plays hot blues, with Johnson supplying cool counterpoint, on "Sweet Nut Stomp." Mears tears through involuted variations, ending in dialogue with Tiner. Johnson muses softly to open "The Fewest Heartbeats," Kikuchi joining to fill the holes in the sparse theme. Tiner and Mears cut loose bringing the band to full force.
Mears' "Attack of the Eye People" runs on Johnson's suspenseful bass line, with Tiner flaming on trumpet. A heated exchange with Mears precedes Johnson's ticklish variations. "Golianation" finds Mears switching to clarinet as a rigid counterpoint theme bursts open for Tiner to blow warm brass through, followed by Mears' crossfire. On Tiner's swaggering rocker "I Hate Your Teapot," the rhythm section plays a muscular old-time shuffle while Tiner and Mears show what Dixieland on Mars might have sounded like. The horns drop down to staccato support for Johnson's fluid bass thoughts.
Track Listing
Swim Swim Swim, Eat Eat Eat; Sweet Nut Stomp; Fewest Heartbeats; Attack of the Eye People; Not Finding Anything/Beast Wheel's Revenge; Golianation; I Hate Your Teapot.
Personnel
Jason Mears: alto saxophone, clarinet; Kris Tiner: trumpet, flugelhorn; Paul Kikuchi: drums; Ivan Johnson: bass.
Album information
Title: Day of the Race | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Nine Winds Records
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