Dan Weiss Quartet: Unclassified Affections

When he is not keeping company as a sideman with some of the most innovative musicians of 21st century creative jazz—a list which includes folks like pianist Matt Mitchell, saxophonist Jon Irabagon, guitarist Miles Okazaki and bassist Trevor Dunn—drummer Dan Weiss has steadily been building his own impressive set of recordings as a leader. Recently, he has tended to prefer trio configurations, such as those on his own Cygnus label: 2022's Dedication (with bassist Thomas Morgan and pianist Jacob Sacks) and 2024's Even Odds (with Mitchell and saxophonist Miguel Zenon). However, for Unclassified Affections, Weiss' fifth release for Pi Recordings, he has decided to go with a quartet format. Joined by Okazaki, vibraphonist Patricia Brennan and trumpeter Peter Evans, Weiss makes ample use of the dynamic and tonal possibilities afforded by this remarkably malleable and sympathetic unit.

Weiss' stylistic palette has always been a diverse one. Some of his earlier projects bridged the worlds of jazz and metal/math rock—the pummeling Natural Selection (Pi Recordings, 2020), with his band Starebaby, is a representative example. But he also has a fondness for melodicism, albeit in a somewhat oblique vein, and it is that side of his temperament that comes to the fore on Unclassified Affections. The eight pieces, all composed by Weiss, are nuanced and frequently surprising, exploring subtleties of rhythm and texture. And while Weiss' technical facility is typically evident, it is in a close partnership with his colleagues, as the collective carefully limn the distinctive features of each piece.

The opening title track leads the listener into the album masterfully: languorous arpeggios from Brennan pave the way, followed by Okazaki's sparsely placed notes, and then Evans joins in with his own syncopated interjections, as the piece's three melodies intertwine. Only then does Weiss enter to complete the picture, gradually cultivating a muted intensity as the piece takes full shape, with some spirited collective improvisation as it works its way to the finish. It has a mesmerizing effect. "Holotype" possesses another intriguing structure, with Weiss in various configurations with his partners assembling a lightning-quick, odd-meter puzzle, and a substantial solo of his own before the tricky theme re-emerges at the close.

As one would expect from any Weiss disc, the musicianship on offer is impeccable, with all four artists displaying their wares convincingly. There are also moments of the hard-driving intensity Weiss often catalyzes: Okazaki brings out his fuzz pedals for the suitably-titled "Mansions of Madness," and "Existence Ticket" is fueled by an infectious groove. But what will keep listeners coming back could very well be the mysterious lyricism that weaves its way through these complex creations. Brennan is crucial to this dimension, with shimmering passages galore. Her gorgeous opening to "Perfection's Loneliness" is a case in point, as is Evans' own plaintive contribution to the piece's abiding melancholy. "Consoled Without Consolations" is another multi-layered invention, with each musician adding to the track's poignancy, and "Plusgood" continues the air of wonder and reflection, as Evans explores the full range of his horn in gently punctuated phrases that echo off the others' musings.

The album concludes with "Dead Wall Revelry" and, at nine-plus minutes, it is the record's longest cut, with a slowly-accumulating tension that threatens to burst but never quite does so, with shape-shifting rhythms and crafty improvisation in abundance, and a fittingly resonant closing which features Evans at his most lyrical. A beautiful finish to a beguiling record.