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Bobby Zankel Trio: Transcend & Triumph
ByImprovising at length in the comparatively minimalist surroundings of guitar and drums Zankel’s saxophone has identifiable antecedents (Steve Coleman most prominently springs to mind), but these are uniformly integrated in a staunchly personal tone and approach. Bouncing from knife-edged incisiveness as on “Scrupulosity” to the feathery, almost soprano-toned temperance of the title track he shows himself to be a technician of uncommon pitch control and versatility. Iannacone is an ideal instrumental foil, playfully putting his frets through the paces and the pair regularly engages in high velocity matches of harmonic ping-pong. Measuring his moves with equal aplomb McIver’s bustling sticks break up a grid of beats that propel the trio at a fast cantering clip.
A minor complaint can be levied in the uniformity of most of the tunes; complex surface structures that never seem to stray too distant from the same palette of thematic pigments. There are sections, as on the long-winded “The Next Time I See You,” where Zankel seems to worry the same stock bag of melodic phrases to the point of garrulous excess. But it’s the ensuing improvisatory interaction between the players, rather than the perpetual compositional complexity that is the real draw of the disc. Zankel’s discography is largely the province of small independents like the Cadence family of labels, but the accessibility of his music makes the odds of greater exposure seem much more favorable. Perhaps more tellingly he denotes the truth in the old adage; never presume to judge a book by its cover.
CIMP on the web: http://www.cadencebuilding.com
Track Listing
Repaying Debts of Gratitude; Scrupulosity; The World of Endurance Is the Land of Tranquil Light; Transcend & Triumph; Truth & Reconciliation; The Next Time I See You; Ndura.
Personnel
Bobby Zankel
saxophone, altoBobby Zankel: alto saxophone; Rick Iannacone: guitar; Craig McIver: drums.
Album information
Title: Transcend & Triumph | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: CIMP Records
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About Bobby Zankel
Instrument: Saxophone, alto
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