Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » William Parker: Mayan Space Station

William Parker: Mayan Space Station

By Mark Corroto
June 9, 2021
View read count

The immediate impact of the recording Mayan Space Station is that of a sheer out-and-out physicality presented by this music. While it is obvious the musicians—guitarist Ava Mendoza, bassist William Parker and drummer Gerald Cleaver—are engaged in the nonautomatic operation of their respective musical instruments, their Herculean efforts are conspicuous. While rarely recognized, credit must be given to engineer Jim Clouse who recorded, mixed and mastered this session to center the listening experience on the band's energy.

What he captured are six compositions by William Parker for an electric guitar/bass/drums trio that draws as much from heavy rock and psychedelia as it does from the jazz and blues tradition. From the opening fire-breather "Tabasco" to the dénouement of "The Wall Tumbles Down," the most descriptive word here is scorch.

Mendoza's electric guitar comes from the same school as that of Sonny Sharrock, Hedvig Mollestad, and Raoul Bjorkenheim. This take no prisoners approach is undoubtedly why Parker chose her for this project, just as other artists like Jon Irabagon and William Hooker have utilized her talents. Same goes for Cleaver who can be heard with Parker in such projects as Farmers By Nature with Craig Taborn, his organ quartet.

The title track may best exemplify Parker's electric guitar trio philosophy. With Cleaver laying down a chugging forward pulse, Parker first pulls handfuls of notes from his bass before applying his bow to cast dense energy fields across this nearly fifteen minutes of exuberance. All the while, Mendoza is casting psychoacoustic soundings of dynamic positiveness to the world. Rockers say "Amen." So do the psychedelic and spiritual jazzers.

Track Listing

Tabasco; Rocas Rojas; Domingo; Mayan Space Station; Canyons Of Light; The Wall Tumbles Down.

Personnel

William Parker

bass

Ava Mendoza

guitar

Gerald Cleaver

drums

Album information

Title: Mayan Space Station | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: AUM Fidelity

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Squint
< Previous

Wadada Leo Smith, The Red Microphone...
Next >

William Parker Concerts

Oct 18 Sat

Vilnius Jazz 2025: William Parker Heart Trio (USA)

Vilnius Old Theatre
Vilnius, Lithuania

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.