Hasaan Ibn Ali: Reaching For The Stars: Solos/Duos/Trios

Since its inception in 2010, Omnivore Recordings has applied a most stringent set of standards to its archival efforts devoted to the disparate likes of Merle Haggard, Maynard Ferguson and the Posies (and no less so in the occasional preparation and release of new content such as Americana master Peter Case).

The label has rightly been recognized for its exacting approach to vault exhumations. Perhaps the most laudable of all its campaigns is the one on behalf of pianist & composer Hasaan Ibn Ali; a virtual unknown of his time in the jazz milieu, via previously unissued content the late Philadephian is now getting at least some of his due for his original approach to playing and writing.

In the wake of Metaphysics: The Lost Atlantic Album (Omnivore Recordings, 2021) and Retrospect In Retirement Of Delay: The Solo Recordings (Omnivore Recordings, 2021), Reaching For The Stars: Solos/Duos/Trios proffers eleven cuts in various instrumental and vocal configurations which cement the growing perception of a musician deserving of widespread accolades. The measure of a truly great musician is the extent to which he or she can portray a distinct personality in a variety of settings; while the aforementioned pair of prior Ali titles proffered more than a little evidence to that end, the fittingly-titled single CD/double LP/digital successor supplies ample additional proof in microcosmic form.

On early tracks such as "Almost Like Me," the clarity of the intuitive connection between pianist Ali, bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Kalil Madi belies the audio restoration by Jordan McCleod and Michael Graves, the latter of whom also mastered the mono sound quality. But the seventy-five minute running time of this single CD is hardly the result of that proverbial 'scraping the bottom of the barrel."

Three duo tracks featuring vocalist Muriel Gilliam (also known as Muriel Winston)—one a near eleven minute "Stella By Starlight"—reaffirm Hasaan Ibn Ali's willingness and ability to contour his eccentricities as a musician in the company of others. In these particular instances, he carries on fully-fledged dialogues via his instrument and the woman's voice.

Of course, as The Bad Plus' Ethan Iverson points out (more than once) in his essay inside a twelve-page booklet, the late musician's uncanny abilities are not without precedent in the history of jazz: Thelonious Monk and Art Tatum may only be the most obvious reference points that occur while listening to the insistent "Pay Not Play Not" or the jaunty and insouciant "Vicero." That said, such indelible impressions pale next to the extended solo excursions sequenced to conclude Reach For The Stars. Intentionally or not, the drama which arises from "After You've Gone" and the slightly more tempered pace "The End Of A Love Affair" turns the near twenty- five minutes into an instrumental tour de force.

Following Hasaan Ibn Ali's unpredictable excursions back and forth over the black and white keys—adventures as redolent of rhythm as melody—delivers satisfaction in direct proportion to the challenges of doing so. The almost indiscernible resolutions of the various progressions ultimately conjure a cinematic atmosphere, an effect as distinctive as the man's talents.

Therein lies the durability and sense of surprise within these recordings and Hasaan ibn Ali's work at large. The deceptively rudimentary artwork which adorns Solos/Duos/Trios mirrors those varying perspectives as fully as the album's title.

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