Frank Carlberg: Variations On A Summer Day

This Stevens project, significant for its blending of poetry and music, reminds one of Charles Mingus’ jazz workshop experiments. Carlberg enlisted the current who’s-who of young hot jazz talent: reedmen Chris Speed (Tim Berne, Human Feel, Pachora, Dave Douglas), Andrew D’Angelo (Matt Wilson, Either/Orchestra, Human Feel), Chris Cheek (Paul Motian, Stephan Furic), trombonist Curtis Hasselbring (Either/Orchestra, Satoko Fujii Orchestra, Ken Schaphorst), Bassist Ben Street (Kurt Rosenwinkel) and drummer Kenny Wollesen (Junk Genius, Sexmob, Slowpoke, New Klezmer Trio). Correa’s singing/recitations hint of Irene Aebi, Steve Lacy’s wife, only Correa’s vocals are tolerable, even enjoyable. Carlberg turns the music into theatre. There are brooding ballads “Say Of The Gulls,” pseudo-swing “To Change Nature,” and energized “Shaken And Shaken.” The soloing is outstanding, I can only guess who is who sometimes, but that’s life. Carlberg opens jazz to new possibilities in this new century.

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