Mike Clark: Standard Deviations

The goal of Mike and Mike—as in Mike Clark on drums and Mike Zilber on saxophone—the co-leaders on Standard Deviations—was to take eight jazz and pop standards (with one Zilber original) and reinterpret them by adding their 21th century interpretation to them (with the help of Jon Davis on piano and Alexander Claffy on bass). Over the course of nearly an hour, the success ratio of the quartet is high.

Clark first appeared on record in the 1970s, working with jazz veterans such as Herbie Hancock. In addition, he has recorded with revered artists, including Eddie Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Chet Baker and others. Beyond that, he's been credited as the leader on close to twenty albums to date. As for Zilber, his list of collaborators includes work with jazz notables Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Liebman and even former Journey drummer Steve Smith. In addition to original pieces, both Clark and Zilber have championed classic standards for decades and their blending of old and new strikes an inviting balance.

The album opens with a Sam Rivers' composition, "Beatrice." Zilber's sax is supple and easygoing with empathetic support from Clark's drumming. Although a listener's first thought when they know "Blues for Chambers" is next up might be to assume it is a nod to Miles Davis' bassist Paul Chambers, it is actually Zilder's tribute to bassist Jeff Chambers who passed all too soon. The piece is frisky and free flowing from start to finish. That is followed by "I Get Along Without You," which starts out with a lonely saxophone accompanied by Jon Davis' melancholy piano. It may initially open with a quiet, pensive approach but Zilder's sax soon veers into free-form territory around the midpoint. A John Coltrane composition, "Cousin Mary," and an Ornette Coleman number, "Turnaround (And Around Again)" showcase originals by two jazz titans of the saxophone followed by a free-form interpretation of "Green Dolphin Street." "The Very Thought of You" opens with a measured pace (similar to "I Get Along...") before the quartet goes on a quest in search of new sounds. Shorter's "Footprints" wraps the album. There is only one selection on the release that seems out of place, "Hallelujah." The original is such a revered and respected creation and should be approached with reverence and respect. Although a vast number of people have recorded it, the gold standard versions will always be by its creator Leonard Cohen with a close second rendering by Jeff Buckley. The Clark-Zilber version comes off as too improvisational and choppy and does not rise to the stellar level of the album's other eight tracks (let alone to what Cohen and Buckley crafted). It really adds very little to the collection, while the other eight selections all succeed nicely.