Tyshawn Sorey: That/Not

Sorey's sometimes malleted drums and deep cymbal rumbles anchor what might be a series of studio-created subtle sound experiments. Whether or no, the series connects the vast work, spread evenly over the two discs. They provide the most readily accessible moments, evoking convention through a constant sheen of subversion. The longer works conjure vast silences and force attention to minute detail, as with the stunningly slow and breathtakingly recorded 43-minute "Permutations ; revel in its overtones, the slow beats and swells that define its constantly morphing contours.

This is not to imply that the disc is all shadow and near-silent subtlety. The opening gesture of the first quartet piece—with Ben Gerstein (trombone), Corey Smythe (piano) and Thomas Morgan (bass)—sports an astonishing trombone crescendo, rising from nothing to earsplitting proportions. Sorey's occasional thwacks, well-placed and startlingly effective, keep attention from wandering too far into any one timbre or moment. However, these gestures are, in fact, subservient to an aesthetic that demonstrates remarkable group restraint and an admirable willingness to listen and communicate accordingly. Solo contributions and collectivity merge, each voiding the other, so that as the impressionistic piano chords of "Commentary fade, the sense of having journeyed is as overwhelming as it is inspiring.

Comments