Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Roswell Rudd/Jamie Saft/Trevor Dunn/Balazs Pandi: Strength & Power

5

Roswell Rudd/Jamie Saft/Trevor Dunn/Balazs Pandi: Strength & Power

By

Sign in to view read count
Roswell Rudd/Jamie Saft/Trevor Dunn/Balazs Pandi: Strength & Power
Buckle up. This is one wild ride that cares not for your apprehension, concerns, expectations, or fears. Pianist Jamie Saft and two of his regular collaborators—bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer Balazs Pandi—got together with trombone icon Roswell Rudd to get down to the art of music making with nothing but their senses to guide them. It was an improvised session in its purest form—no charts, no sketches, and no preconceived notions about where things should or shouldn't go. These men simply used intuition, receptiveness, attentiveness, and a willingness to let go as the key to open the doors to the outer limits of possibility.

Anybody familiar with these names shouldn't be surprised by the fact that there's brazen blowing, jabbing bass, slamming drums, and pummeled piano a plenty here. These four don't dance around an idea or wax hesitantly with their instruments. They take the plunge, head first, with no regrets. But that's not to say there's no thought in their actions. These musicians have far too much experience to simply turn up and tune out. You can hear that in they way they gently build and explore a radiant world ("Luminescent"), you can spot it when they flip focus to Dunn during a lengthy journey ("Cobalt Is Divine"), and, believe it or not, you can even get a glimpse of it when they chip away at cacophony at the conclusion of a shambolic and heady boxing match ("The Bedroom"). It's everything you could expect from a set of musicians known to be open to dialogue and new thought(s) yet strong-willed in their actions.

For some, Rudd will be the main draw here. He breathes a lifetime of experience through his horn, evident in his tribal chatter ("Dunn's Falls"), his beautiful peculiarities ("Luminescent"), his explorations in an avant-NOLA atmosphere ("Struttin' For Jah Jah"), and his unrestrained use of force. For others, the brash trio of Saft, Dunn, and Pandi will make the sale. And for a third group—the truly curious—the inter-generational action may be the attraction. All of that is well and good, but the selling point is of less concern than the art itself—a powerful blend of untethered and unbelievably exciting music. Strength and power indeed.

Track Listing

Strength & Power; Cobalt Is Divine; The Bedroom; Luminescent; Dunn's Falls; Struttin' For Jah Jah.

Personnel

Roswell Rudd
trombone

Roswell Rudd: trombone; Jamie Saft: piano; Trevor Dunn: acoustic bass; Balazs Pandi: drums.

Album information

Title: Strength & Power | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: RareNoiseRecords

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.