Rempis / Adasiewicz / Abrams / Damon: Propulsion

Do you ever imagine yourself, while listening to an album from the Chicago creative scene, as a detective in one of those murder mystery movies? The investigator has assembled a wall with a string running from the crime scene photos and victims to all the accused. They do so to visualize the connections between suspects. The same process is helpful with Chicago musicians. Saxophonist Dave Rempis had curated nearly a thousand Thursday night performances at Elastic Arts in Chicago between 2002 and 2023. This scene of the crime gave him the opportunity, and he certainly had the motive, to consort and collaborate with his creative community.

We can begin connecting our threads between Rempis and vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz with Ken Vandermark's ensemble Audio One, plus the vibraphonist can also be heard in the saxophonist's Heaven Orchestra and the trio Wheelhouse with Nate McBride. Next, we connect Adasiewicz with bassist Joshua Abrams in multiple ensembles including those each leads and bands led by Mike Reed, Rob Mazurek and David McDonnell. More string is needed to connect drummer Tyler Damon to Rempis with the Kuzu trio that includes Tashi Dorji and also to each of the other musicians. The wall grows larger with the complexity of connections between players and unlike the common saying, familiarity here does not breed contempt. It does though produce coherent and compelling music.

Of the three lengthy improvisations, the opener "Divergence" at over 26 minutes is the longest. The quartet tiptoes in with quiet vibraphone, bowed bass, echoing saxophone and prattled percussion. As the music winds its way, the four improvisers agree on cadence and flow, briefly soloing or pairing off in musical conversations. What stands out is the lack of ego and the patience each player maintains throughout. Rempis' impassioned tenor soloing is the focal point of the opener and it lights the touchpaper for the ensemble. "Egression" opens with Rempis' circular breathing. The saxophonist explores the outer fringe of his horn just as an acrobat might thrill with his gestures. Damon, Adasiewicz, and Abrams respond by stretching time with drums bashing, vibraphone ringing and a bowed bass accompaniment. "Ephemera" has a blues feel with Rempis switching to his baritone saxophone. Adasiewicz adds wind chime sounds from his setup and Abrams' bowed solo comes off as if it were human speech. Propulsion is quite the arresting record and it is indeed a guilty pleasure.

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