Trio Xolo: In Flower, In Song

There is always a concerted effort for something more than just music when Brooklyn's 577 Records releases its many substantial efforts. There is a sense of the unknown, the quixotic, the daring, the maddening, but never the mundane.

So this debut release from Trio Xolo—Mexican-American bassist Zachary Swanson, Baltimore-based saxophonist Derrick Michaels and Lithuanian percussionist Dalius Naujo—free falls right into the sweet spot for some deep, organic listening. And though the musical setting is as true, tried and tested as yesterday—sax, drums, bass—the music is as modern as the moment and the moment as fleeting as the next collective idea, thought, note or riff.

Stream-of-consciousness recordings can have their lag, but lag is not in the repertoire here as Trio Xolo veer from rhythmic shadow to woody, deep-toned hues. Recorded in one room without overdubs or the distractions of modern studio wizardry, abstract shards morph into crystalline drops of clarity and communication. Fractured meters and whole cloth musing. Zachary holds the center without challenge while Michaels—his saxophone groaning, pleading, searching—and Naujo—his drum set a constant font of new percussive possibilities—dart and tangle, bounce off the margins at some points and break them open at others. Fierce, atmospheric, and ever on the verge of something else, Zachary, Michaels and Naujo carry forth the 577 Records credo proudly and, more importantly, without apology. Highlights include: "Texcoco," "Anchored in Peace," "Ritualistic," "A Mobius Strip," and "Vantablack."

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