Michael Dease: Found in Space: The Music of Gregg Hill

Even though all but unsung outside his customary locale, Michigan-based composer Gregg Hill has drawn into his orbit a small but well-respected circle of jazz artists including bassist Rodney Whitaker, guitarist Randy Napoleon and trombonist Michael Dease, all of whom have recorded albums dedicated to Hill's diverse and sophisticated music. Found in Space is Dease's second homage to Hill, with a third one in the planning stages.

Hill's compositions, which traverse the spectrum from straight-on jazz to avant-garde, are replete with adventurous harmonic patterns and shifting time signatures, keeping Dease's eleven-piece ensemble alert and on its best behavior from downbeat to coda. This is nowhere more evident than on the album's opening number, "The Last Pop Tune," whose elaborate counterpoint between brass and reeds and sudden shifts in time lead to animated solos from pianist Bill Cunliffe, flutist Sharel Cassity and the song's arranger, Matt White, on muted trumpet.

The title track, a comedic send-up on the title of the television series "Lost in Space," is a seductive medium-tempo fox-trot, arranged by Cunliffe, whose decisive solos are crafted by White, alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa and Cunliffe on Fender Rhodes. Hill salutes bassist Whitaker with the forthright "One for Rodney," on which bassist Katie Thiroux shines as Whitaker's stand-in, after which Mahanthappa and Cassity (on alto) trade well-aimed volleys and drummer Colleen Clark points the way to the chart's dynamic conclusion.

Dease's trombone and Cassity's flute set the compass on "The Stray Moonduck," a colorful tone poem on which Dease's perceptive solo precedes others by tenor Jason Hainsworth and the ensemble's second trombonist, Nanami Haruta. Thiroux's resonant bass is center stage again on the Stan Kenton-esque "Puppet Thief," leading to engaging statements by Hainsworth, Cunliffe on Fender Rhodes and Virginia MacDonald on flute. "Rue de Royal," imbued with a New Orleans-style groove, is a more or less straight-ahead chart whose kinetic solos are delivered by Dease (who improbably doubles on baritone sax), White and Mahanthappa, while Clark and Thiroux share the rhythmic assignment.

That's an abundance of noteworthy music, with yet another half-hour still to come, starting with the smooth-flowing "Chillin' with Wess," named for alto saxophonist Wessell Anderson and featuring warm-hearted solos and trade-offs by Haruta and Hainsworth and a purposeful statement by MacDonald, this time on clarinet. The somber "Anthem" is another showcase for Dease's baritone sax—an instrument he only recently started playing—with other solos by MacDonald and Mahanthappa. "Nostalgia," a quasi-swinger whose core ranges from Brazilian and bossa nova vibes to more temperate cadences, leads to the relatively dissident "Wrinkle in Time," which unfolds into straight-on swing and closes the session on a luminous note. Included are sixteen-bar solos by every member of the ensemble including percussionist Gwendolyn Dease.

Even though the music of Gregg Hill is no easy stroll in the park, Dease and his teammates are invariably laser-focused and eager to surmount any hurdles it presents. The upshot is more than seventy minutes of smart and stylish themes that are nonetheless pleasing and accessible. High marks for preparedness and performance.

Comments