Lesley Mok: The Living Collection

Percussionist and composer Lesley Mok is a restless explorer who has also been called a sound artist. However, that designation does not give a full picture of her creative vision. Mok deftly maintains the singular balance between the notated and the improvised as well as abstraction and accessibility, thus breaking out of narrow genreist designations, to make music which is urgently relevant. All this and more is clearly demonstrated on her debut as a leader, the provocative The Living Collection.

The nine-part suite opens with "It Wants" an eerie and atmospheric "duet." Mok experiments with the sonic range of her kit while multi-instrumentalist Weston Olencki creates electronic soundscapes. Slowly the other band members enter, leading to a dynamic camaraderie and a dramatic ambience. Pianist Cory Smythe contributes forlorn, wistful cascades of notes, bassist Florian Herzog haunting reverberations, and the winds & brass long mournful lines. Violist Joanna Mattrey and cellist Aliya Ultan's supple and graceful bowing stands in intriguing contrast to the horns' haunting tones.

The titles of the tracks together form a single sentence. The source is poet Jorie Graham's "Scarcely There." Both the individual musicians' and the ensemble's performances maintain this thematic unity. Trombonist Kalun Leung and saxophonist David Leon each improvise on "Again, All" with controlled passion. Meanwhile Mok's thundering beats and the angular cadence of the rhythm trio paint a darkly contemplative picture.

On "It's Silvery Out of Tomorrow" trumpeter Adam O'Farrill blows solos with warmth and lyricism while Mok and Herzog respond with angular flourishes. As the interplay grows quieter and more dissonant, it fades into the subsequent tune, the introspective "And Ramping-up Now." The shortest on the album, at under 2 minutes, it is a miniature, futuristic chamber piece featuring Smythe, Mattrey and Ultan.

The concluding "Quite a Spectacular Dusk" which follows is cinematic, with its variety of interweaving sonic threads which remain quite harmonious nevertheless. Saxophonists Leon and Yuma Uesaka first engage with O'Farrill in hypnotic refrains and then overlap their phrases with those of the strings to an ethereal effect. Uesaka's extemporization emerges from this mystical backdrop which Smythe's chiming keys and Mok's resonant beats punctuate. A few pillowy growls from Leung, and O'Farrill's lyrical trumpet enhance this spiritual mood.

On this vibrant and multilayered recording Mok showcases her talents and skills to their fullest, and what a revelation it is. This is an exquisite and stimulating work which is every bit as memorable as the iconic poem it references.

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