Nicola Miller: Living Things

It is more than fair enough to say that Nova Scotia-based saxophonist/composer Nicola Miller's vision and understanding of things is peppered with oddly curious axioms and an astute ear for the undertow that pulls us all further out to sea or crashing into the breakers.

At least that is what Living Things, Miller's first bold statement as a leader leads one to believe given the odd shapes and delineations that such serpentine wanderings of the lead-off "Barge"—its slippery, open darkness engulfing—the jumpy, skittish animation of "Night Crawlers" (wherein Miller and bass clarinetist Frank Gratkowski are virtually possessed by Eric Dolphy) ending in a slugfest with bassist Nicholas D'Amato and drummer Nick Fraser.

A fixture on the Canadian jazz circuit, the saxophonist's fearlessly experimental, strangely imposing compositions incorporate breathy sonics, bird sounds, warbles, field recordings . . . a wild froth of whatever it takes to get her point across. "Buffleheads," with its sputters and squeals slides Casually? Cautiously? into brief episodes of dancehall chill.  "Seaweed" burbles and whispers, as if interpreting the movement of the Atlantic on all its shores. "Seagulls" opens the sky to flight. Living Things namesake track is a loopy, second-line sway with a slyly growling trombonist Doug Tielli holding fort until Miller and Gratkowski (whom Miller considers her mentor) take the tune their way and any alternative becomes possible. Deceptively accessible yet stubbornly its own, Living Things introduces a new and most welcome voice to the fold.

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