Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ken Vandermark / Barry Guy / Mark Sanders: Fox Fire
Ken Vandermark / Barry Guy / Mark Sanders: Fox Fire
Granted, there is no such thing as a "perfect" freely improvised recording. Listening to a recording is different from attending the recording event, studio or live—the result of mastering and engineering being further impacted by the playback system at hand, whether it's an iPod or $10,000 home audio system.
All three musicians are adept at instant music making. Guy, the elder statesman, is a classically trained bassist who maintains a presence in both the improvised and compositional worlds. His partners have made their respective marks—Sanders, with the likes of Evan Parker, Jah Wobble, John Edwards and Paul Dunmall; Vandermark having built a reputation with his own Chicago groups Vandermark 5, Sound In Action Trio and the Frame Quartet. The reedman has also collaborated with European improvisers in countless ensembles.
The proof here is the instantaneous manner in which the trio gets down to the business of music-making. This isn't just twiddling and tinkering with instruments; the three, in the classic sax/bass/drums configuration, narrate paths of sound governed by an unwritten set of rules. Sure, there are Herculean displays of power, such as the tortured passages of "Fuggle" and "Northern Lights," where the players seem to loosen their regard for understatement and ply the power. But overall, the presentation here is more for tension than noise. Sanders keeps an even-handed application of energy distribution, opting for speed over cacophony.
The true gems on Fox Fire are the quieter pieces that almost slip by, like "Revontulet," with the twinkling of Guy's notes against Vandermark's hesitant clarinet. With Sanders' shuffling brushes, the band builds a narrative with unhurried confidence. Paused for brief solos, it's an easy walk through the portal of imagination.
Track Listing
CD1: Katsina; Up North; Kwingyaw (for T. D-E); Revontulet; Northern Lights. CD2: Fuggle; Aquilla; Challenger; Omega; Nugget.
Personnel
Barry Guy
bass, acousticKen Vandermark: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Barry Guy: bass; Mark Sanders: percussion.
Album information
Title: Fox Fire | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Maya
About Barry Guy
Tags
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Become a Sustaining Member
Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.
Help Build the Future of All About Jazz
Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.
Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.
Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.
