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Alliance for Improvised Music |
Good things happen when you can keep a group together for a while. Musicians get to know each other, a collective identify begins to emerge, nice solos become stirring conversations among the members, the writers in the band have the luxury of writing with particular musicians in mind. Everything clicks and, voila, a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
As you can probably guess, the Fonda/Stevens group is just such an outfit. The group began over 6 years, 4 cd's, and half a dozen European tours ago, originally as a quintet also featuring saxophonist Mark Whitecage. And Fonda, Stevens, and Sorgen had played together for about 5 years in the Mosaic Sextet, which also featured Dave Douglas, Mark Feldman, and Mike Rabinowitz.
Hailed by various critics as "one of the most exciting groups of the late 90's" (Ottawa Citizen) and "one of jazz/improvised music's most accomplished ensembles" (Cadence), the Fonda/Stevens group balances powerful post-bop with free-form explorations. Their music emphasizes group interaction and strong compositions, with pianist Stevens and trumpeter Robertson floating over the rock-solid rhythm section of Fonda and Sorgen. Nice, very jazzy, uptempo themes jump-cut into freeish improvisational explorations, those quick changes reminiscent of Ellery Eskelin's trio. Probably my favorite track off their latest cd "Live from the Bunker" (Leo) is "haiku" which features a lovely bowed-bass/trumpet duet over Sorgen's softly rumbling drums wrapped inside some gorgeous post-bop.
Bassist Joe Fonda first came to my attention in various Anthony Braxton groups, most notably Braxton's piano quartet. Just as impressively, he played a lot with Wadada Leo Smith ("Procession of the Great Ancestry") throughout the 70's. Add in Ken McIntyre, Kenny Barron, Chico Hamilton and others. He's got a full supple sound and a lovely sound with the bow.
Michael Jefry Stevens holds down the piano chair. In addition to his time in the Mosaic sextet, he's gigged around and recorded with folks like Gerry Hemingway, Dominic Duval, Thomas Chapin, Billy Martin (of MMW fame), and (yet again) Wadada Leo Smith. He's got a wonderfully schizophrenic (or pan-stylistic if you prefer) style on the piano - how many pianists do you know that critics compare to both Cecil Taylor and Vince Guaraldi.
Harvey Sorgen is new to me...but presumably not new to you Hot Tuna fans out there. Add in performing/recording credits that include NRBQ, Roswell Rudd, Ahmad Jamal, and Anthony Braxton and he may have a more eclectic set of influences/compatriots than our own beloved drummer Ian Davis.
Batting cleanup is trumpeter Herb Robertson. I dig everything I've heard Herb do. A long-time associate of Tim Berne (as in since 1981), Mark Helias and other leaders of the downtown scene, he's also played with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra. He was last in town with the Gerry Hemingway quartet. It's rather difficult to describe his "style", so let's just say that he might be the Jaki Byard of the trumpet.
Sometimes you just scratch your head and wonder why more folks don't get it. With most of the music we present, that's not the case - I know why more folks don't get it, it's kinda weird and out there and fairly far from 'the jazz tradition.' But this time, the link to that tradition couldn't be clearer if it hit you on the back of the head with a 2x4. Yet the music remains totally aware of the risks and rewards of the last 40 years of innovation and brings it all masterfully together. aimjazz@altavista.net or (919) 968-0478 for reservations and directions
---Walt Davis
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