Otherlands Trio with Stephan Crump, Darius Jones, Eric McPherson: Star Mountain

The Otherlands Trio's Star Mountain presents five cerebral improvisations that unfold along abstract lines, utilizing staggered syncopation that seamlessly blends with nuanced passages, both soft and loud. The album feels at times like it will break into something more freewheeling, but the musicians instead choose patient moves that deliver creative phrases filled with unexpected twists and turns.

This is the first outing by the trio comprised of Stephan Crump (bass), Darius Jones (alto sax) and Eric McPherson (drums), all of whom are fixtures of the modern, experimental jazz scene. Crump and McPherson have played in trio format with pianist Kris Davis on three critically acclaimed Borderlands Trio albums (the 2017 Asteroidea (Intakt Records), the 2021 Wandersphere (Intakt Records), and the 2024 Rewilder (Intakt Records)—each noted for an exploration of diverse musical styles that provoked and surprised.  And Jones has generated a handful of albums under his own name and has received accolades from across the publication spectrum. His 2024 Legend of E'boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) (AUM Fidelity) has been described as a "masterwork."

All three musicians put trademark elements of their style to effective use on this album. Crump's bowing is a case in point. He opens with the bow on "Metamorpheme," and on "Lateral Line," he combines bowing with a difficult staccato approach. The bowing emerges again on "Instared," but this time he uses it to elicit immaculate overtones. Another example of his virtuosity can be found at the end of "Imago," where he exhibits his ability to rapidly pluck along the neck in the number's wind-down.

McPherson creates cerebral funk with his all-over beats and the subtle heat of his cymbal work on "Diadromous."  On the same improv, he uses the rimshot and bass pedal to provide a syncopated, almost broken, funk.

For his part, Jones creates evolving and nimble lines that use slurs which often come to an abrupt stop, like a period at the end of a sentence. His sound, reminiscent of the late Dewey Redman or Makanda Ken McIntyre , has a kind of mizmar tone. The Morse code opening to "Lateral Lines" and the way he plays two notes simultaneously at one point on "Diadromous" are compelling, and on "Instared," he issues birdish flutters above Crump's bowed bass.

However, one thing is missing from Star Mountain. And that is fireworks. None of the improvisations generate supernova flares. Instead, the music feels more like the working of an intricate clock, where thought and process trump emotion. One might attribute this to a "first outing." Let's hope that the trio continues, and in subsequent efforts, finds flair to go with its virtuosity.