Jack Wright: Places To Go

By Anthony Braxton’s definition, Jack Wright is a very dangerous man. Not danger as in hazards, but dangerous as in possibilities. Braxton classifies musicians as traditionalists (retro-New Orleans), stylists (all those hard-bop clones), and restructuralists (Charlie Parker, John Cage, Sun Ra). The restructualist Wright, like Parker in his time, is walking the precipice of creative music. Working new sonic boundaries, not readily acceptable to the average listener (or even average jazz listener). Wright works on the outer edge of improvisation, as a soloist he has no time structures as nets or preconceived ideas as safety lines. Wright spontaneously composes the very essence of music – sounds. His performances recorded here are progressive outpourings of notes, tones, squeaks, squawks, grunts, growls, yowls, snorts, bellows, snaps, gnarls, chortles, sniggers, taps, you get my point. Wright, a master of his saxophone coaxes non-saxophone songs from his horn. Like a street corner rapper, he makes it up as he goes. His prior recordings, like this one are self-produced and available from Spring Garden Music , and also he has released a two saxophone/two cello disc on the CIMP label. Wright is a treat is catch live, because his improvisations are physical as well as sonic. Sometimes you think his playing is a form of Tai Chi as movement and sound become one. Listening is another experience, one for the imagination and the open mind.