Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Oliver Lake / Christian Weber / Dieter Ulrich: For A Lit...

203

Oliver Lake / Christian Weber / Dieter Ulrich: For A Little Dancin’

By

Sign in to view read count
Oliver Lake / Christian Weber / Dieter Ulrich: For A Little Dancin’
Alto and soprano sax man Oliver Lake has been a key member of a trio with bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Andrew Cyrille in the past. That band, sometimes with the addition of a pianist, has been responsible for some of this century's most compelling small group jazz. This alto sax-bass-drums trio thus has a lot to live up to, but live up to it they do with For A Little Dancin', and not least because they're a trio whose collective endeavor is shot through with a rarefied level of energy and commitment.

They're no mere copycat of Lake's longstanding trio, either; this is a group which has forged its own identity, regardless of the instrumental lineup. But to discuss the dissimilarities of the two groups is unnecessary, especially when the identity they stamp on Lake's "In This" is so persuasive. Lake's alto sax tone seems less pinched these days, while his lyricism, an aspect of his playing which often doesn't get the attention it deserves, is to the fore over Christian Weber's bass, which sometimes evokes the spirit of Charlie Haden, and drummer Dieter Ulrich's deft brushes.

"Spots" opens with Weber's eerie arco bass, shadowed by Ulrich, before Lake comes in, working with the kind of intensity that Sonny Simmons conjures up. Remembering that Lake and Simmons have been honing their craft for decades provides insight into the main reason for their shared depth of musical identity. On this track, the trio mines a seam of energy music that doesn't descend into primal screaming and the result,although brief, indicates how well the members know each other, musically speaking.

By way of highlighting the ground they can cover, "Rollin' Vamp" is both stealthy and measured. Any subtlety this might imply is here, too, as Lake and Ulrich work around Weber's repetitive figure. Again, the results testify how much can happen in the moment; but it's the joy with which the trio goes about its work that lifts the music to another level.

"Backup" closes things out with a mixture of sly wit and the collective understanding which is a mark of the whole set—in turn, marking a high point for potent and informed music making, the like of which is rarely carried off with such grace.

Track Listing

Marion Theme; Z Trio; Rollin' Vamp; Art 101; In This; Spring-ing Trio; Spots; For A Little Dancin'; Spelman; Backup.

Personnel

Oliver Lake
saxophone

Oliver Lake: alto sax; Christian Weber: bass; Dieter Ulrich: drums.

Album information

Title: For A Little Dancin’ | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: Intakt Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create 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.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.