Paul Dunmall Octet: Great Divide

For the most part, the rhythm section of Rogers and Levin (and also, frequently, guitarist John Adams) plays a support role for the solo improvisations by the horns. Tony Levin in particular deserves recognition for his energetic work on the drums. While he can and does swing lavishly at times, he more often breaks out into a roiling free-bop simmer. Levin's relatively dense and dynamically varied hits spur the other players to new levels of energy and cohesion. Witness Gethin Liddington's particularly fine trumpet solo on "Part Four"—where Levin rides alongside, tossing up crashes and rumbles at emotional high points. When the piece implodes into a quieter, more deliberate collective improvisation, Levin tones his accents down to chamber-music levels.

Tenor player Paul Dunmall is generally not one to steal the spotlight. But when he steps forward on "Part Five," he reveals a surprising level of intensity and focus. During this part of the recording, the other players each come in and out to offer counterpoint, balance, and a taste of dissonance. (No one's scared of a little noise here.) Keith Tippett's piano playing rises and falls with the tidal energy of Dunmall's emotional shout. Then, as the music progresses, a reflective series of rolling piano arpeggios announces the arrival of trombonist Paul Rutherford's more pensive voice on the scene.

While Dunmall has always had a certain flair for composition, it's really the improvised interactions among these players that sparks the greatest interest on Great Divide. That's fitting, given the volume of their shared musical experience. The last track adds another eight players to the mix—and with sixteen voices all shouting at once, this crowd recalls some of the densest free jazz experiments on record (Ascension, anyone?). It stands in stark contrast to the sparser, more personal pieces from earlier in the record. But lest you have any earwax buildup, rest assured that this "Passage Through the Great Divide" will jar it loose in no time flat.

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