Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Fly: Year of the Snake

4

Fly: Year of the Snake

By

Sign in to view read count
Track review of "Kingston"

Fly: Year of the Snake
While there are numerous jazz trios, few leave a lasting impression. This is not the case for Fly, consisting of younger but fully established jazz artists— saxophonist extraordinaire Mark Turner and his equally talented cohorts, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard.

At just over ten minutes, the episodic "Kingston," from the trio's sophomore ECM release, Year of the Snake , encapsulates rousing composition and exhilarating improvisation. What begins tentatively, with inquisitive probing—elongated unison lines and gentle militaristic drums taps—evolves into a powerfully funky groove with an elastic tenor solo moving like a cobra as the bass and drums provide the knotty backbone.

But it's at the seven-and-half-minute mark where things get really interesting. A new theme emerges at the break where Grenadier bowed ostinato leads the music into a cyclonic free for all. Turner repeats the pattern in unison, and then parses it into new directions with his usual display of dexterity and rich tonality, as Ballard provides cymbal showers until the initial theme is reintroduced. "Kingston" is momentous, and represents a fine example of the trio's prowess and its ability to reinvent itself.

Track Listing

Personnel

FLY
band / ensemble / orchestra

Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Larry Grenadier: double bass; Jeff Ballard: drums.

Album information

Title: Year of the Snake | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: ECM Records

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.