Tim Daisy and Ken Vandermark: Fourth Atlas

True to its title, Fourth Atlas is the fourth album by the Chicago twosome of reedman Ken Vandermark and drummer Tim Daisy. Daisy was a member of the esteemed Vandermark 5 from 2002 to its demise in 2010, and the association has only deepened since. More than shared history, they enjoy a a shared aesthetic and profound appreciation for form. As a result this set of eight cuts, while credited to both and presumably spontaneously realized, could easily be mistaken for composed pieces, with nary the bat of an eye or ear.

Whether on saxophones or clarinets, Vandermark's coherent and well-turned statements always seem to imply an unstated theme. He shades his lines on the former with layers of expressive distortion, while conversely, especially on Bb clarinet, he favors pure-toned musings which evoke a chamber feel, although Daisy keeps such an ambience from overwhelming by generally imparting movement even when using unusual timbres from his kit. As ever, Vandermark's ideas gain heft from judicious repetition, the recurring motifs acting as a backdrop for Daisy's wilder excursions, or as scaffolding for further construction.

Daisy complements his partner by cultivating a stratified conception of the drums and their potential for multiple voicings, in which he orchestrates by differentiating between carefully selected elements of his kit. It is no surprise to note a talent for composition affirmed by the number of solo releases he has to his account.

Straight away, that sense of structure becomes apparent on the opening track, "Stray." It begins with Vandermark's sprightly tenor inspired and urgent, alongside a buoyant percussive accompaniment. When the saxophonist pauses, Daisy instantaneously changes tack, shifting to rolling toms in marked contrast to his earlier gambit, only to switch back the second Vandermark returns for a brief reprise.

The reed man readily extemporizes compelling melodic figures and nagging riffs. At times the exhilaration and drive recalls the V5 of old, particularly in the second part of "In Low Light" and on "Sight Derail." In both cases, that invocation counters the prevailing mood, a cool regretful lyricism in the first and dulcet bass clarinet ruminations in the second, that frame the outbursts.

Fourth Atlas stands as a testament to Vandermark and Daisy's rich rapport—a conversation shaped by years of sharpened instincts and collaborative practice, creating a sound that feels both immediate and inevitable.