Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » World Saxophone Quartet: Steppenwolf
World Saxophone Quartet: Steppenwolf
ByThe eight tunes on the disc include compositions by each current band member. Steppenwolf features the same degree of intuitive cohesion that marks all the group's work to date. When intricate harmonies are needed to support a lead, two or three players step up effortlessly to lend a hand. When the group hits the open road, each member blows hard. "Giant Steps," for example, features a broad range of styles. Interspersed between articulately harmonized refrains, these players venture as far "out" as they've ever done on record. They pause two tunes later for John Purcell's "Toré," a gentle, lyrical piece in which darkly colored harmonies serve as a backdrop for flowing lines up top.
Soprano saxophonist John Purcell indeed delivers some of his most dramatic work yet on Steppenwolf, both in terms of performance and composition; by this point he's firmly entrenched in the position left vacant after the death of founding member Julius Hemphill in 1995. And while David Murray maintains his ever-present pursuit of energy and drama, he yields enough space for the rest of the band to fully stretch out. Murray's bass clarinet work on half these tunes has a thick visceral edge that nicely complements the other players.
Mysteriously, this Chicago audience does not seem to fully appreciate the magic on stage (their loss, clearly). But Steppenwolf is a fine record indeed. A masterpiece? No. But most definitely up to the very high standards this group has set over the last quarter century.
Track Listing
Intro; The Crossing; Intro; Li'l Poki; Intro; Sunrise; Giant Steps; Intro; Color for Duke; Intro; Tor
Personnel
World Saxophone Quartet
band / ensemble / orchestraBluiett: baritone saxophone; Oliver Lake: alto saxophone; David Murray: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; John Purcell: soprano saxophone, clarinet.
Album information
Title: Steppenwolf | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Justin Time Records
Comments
About World Saxophone Quartet
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
Related Articles | Concerts | Albums | Photos | Similar To