Stephen Gauci / Santiago Leibson / Ken Filiano / Vinnie Sperrazza: Live At Scholes Street Studio

On another missive from the bleeding edge, tenor saxophonist Stephen Gauci further documents his fertile alliances in Brooklyn. In a quartet alongside the reedman are Argentinean pianist Santiago Leibson, veteran bassist Ken Filiano and drummer Vinnie Sperrazza. Gauci's signature blend from the further reaches of the saxophone—stretching from caustic upper register to burly bottom end—remains a central feature. But on the two off-the-wall pieces, one broaching the half hour mark, the other just over 20 minutes, he promotes an ensemble sound, often placing himself in the middle distance or dropping out entirely.

Leibson has partnered Gauci on many occasions and, like Filiano, teamed up with Gauci in an installment of his Pandemic Duets (Gaucimusic 2021). Filiano's connection goes back further still, having made intermittent appearances in the saxophonist's bands from Absolute Absolutely (CIMP, 2006) onwards. Although for Sperrazza this is the first encounter on disc, it is the bassist and drummer who lend this date a distinctive air.

As long associations with adventurous peers such as Vinny Golia, Jason Kao Hwang and Taylor Ho Bynum attest, Filiano has the complete toolbox at his disposal. Most particularly, he imbues his wondrous contrapuntal voice with an underlying lyricism that grabs the ear time and again. Perhaps wisely, Sperrazza never overplays, proving an astute colorist who enlivens whatever is happening, while unobtrusively imparting momentum when needed. Indeed, it is frequently Leibson whose flickering runs, clipped phrases and percussive iterations prompt the forward motion.

Both cuts hew to the customary improv dynamic, progressing through a series of peaks and troughs. At the center of "#1" lies a brace of duos that emerge organically from the constant flux. First comes a gentle reflective pairing of piano and bowed bass, before a dialed-back drum solo in which Sperrazza juxtaposes figures from different elements of his kit. Eventually, Gauci joins on tenor, his twisting falsetto snaking through the group interplay. Filiano takes a key role on "#2," starting off the track with an exhibition of harmonics, slurs and ripples before introducing a shuffling near-vamp, which kicks everyone up another gear.

Gauci's disregard of convention—whereby many of his releases share the title Live At Scholes Street Studio, differentiated only by personnel, without credits or any titles—suggests updates from an ongoing process, rather than definitive statements. This episode indicates further meetings with Filiano should be high on the agenda.

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