Jessica Jones Quartet: Edible Flowers

The Jessica Jones Quartet's Edible Flowers can be described as a pair of hot tenor saxophonists cranking things up and shouting out one freewheeling romp (or rant) after another. There is a structure to her tunes, but the improvisation slice of the pie is a big one. Saxophonist Jones is joined by her sax mate, Tony Jones, bassist Stomu Takeishi and drummer Deszon Claiborne in this "no chording instrument quartet." The group is reminiscent of Ornette Coleman's band of New York Is Now (Blue Note, 1968), which featured Dewey Redman's tenor sax blowing beside Coleman's alto.

Both reedists play it loosey-goosey, laying down elastic, sometimes truculent solos, opening with leader Jones' "Manhattan," a tune that sounds like a rambling good time on the town. Connie Crothers' "Bird's Word" features the horns' free-swinging fury inside a turbulent rhythm, saxophones—when they are not soloing—blowing not quite in unison, but close to it as they rip through this surreal sonic world they are creating. The Jones and Jones team composed "No Relation/Just Us." It sounds congenial in its opening. Then it drifts, gathering momentum and ascending into riotous honking and squawking, a brief street fight that releases its formidable tension (after one or more of the combatants is left lying on the ground?) before it shuffles off into a post-fight, licking of the wounds reverie.

Jackie McLean's "Little Melonae" is a nice choice for inclusion. It is a tune that always seems on edge, even when given the straightest of interpretations. This is not the straightest of interpretations. The theme is stated, then things take off on a jagged, zigzag, free jazz saxophone path.

Edible Flowers—the title taken from a post-recording session salad put together by Takeishi—is an inspired free jazz outing, the band coming together to play in top form, and nobody is being careful, surprising the ears about ten times per tune.