Johannes Wallmann: Precarious Towers

Pianist Johannes Wallman set himself up with a hard act to follow when he released 2021's Elegy For an Undiscovered Species (Shifting Paradigm) an ambitious set of the leader's distinctive compositions played by an all-star quintet and string orchestra. It is a jazz with strings that leans to a spirited jazz side—cerebral and approachable at the same time.

Precarious Towers, Wallmann's 2022 offering, finds the pianist bringing in a different quintet, one which proves itself as adept as its predecessor at creating inspired music, via the leader's inspired compositions.

Just as it was with his Elegy For An Undiscovered Species, the group opens Precarious Towers with the title tune, a fun, relaxed romp inspired by Lego buildings constructed---in perhaps a not quite up-to-code manner—by Wallmann's young daughter. The follow-up is "McCoy," a dense, dark nod to pianist McCoy Tyner. "Angel Eyes," the disc's only non-original, also brings out Wallmann's inner Tyner, churning to life on some muscular chording. Mitch Shiner's vibraphone adds a harmonic enrichment to the sound, not dissimilar to what the strings did for Elegy For an Undiscovered Species. The group dynamic is near perfection. On this tune saxophonist Sharel Cassity nestles herself inside the ensemble sound beautifully—until the final minute, when she steps out with style—while bassist John Christensen and drummer Devin Drobka give the rhythm a riveting edge.

The album also includes what could be called the "Pandemica Suite," a three-part observation of the effects of Covid: the spare "Pandemica I: Quiet Out There;" then the pensive "Pandemica II: Unreliable Narrator;" and the wrap-up, the determined and relentless "Pandemica III: Defeat and Imprison The Conman Strongman," where, fittingly, the ensemble plays with an unerring cohesion and like-minded urgency and verve.

Wallmann and the crew close with "Saturday Night Meat Raffle," something which apparently happens in Wallmann's adopted home state of Wisconsin. Strange title, beautiful tune, crafted with the precision and originality of pianist Herbie Hancock's pre-fusion Blue Note Records outings.