Trio (mit) Marlene, The Surface of an Object

Something a little different today. We have the Trio (mit) Marlene and their album The Surface Of An Object (Rudy Records RRJ1025). Essentially it is an avant excursion with attention to thematic motives. Giacomo Merega centers the music on electric bass guitar, feeding the trio ostinato lines and motivic structures which are then built over by the alto sax of Michael Attias (who doubles on Wurlitzer piano) and the drumming of Satoshi Takeishi.

Satoshi delivers with the creative flair one expects of him. There is an artful freedom to his rubato-time colorations and he makes an important third of this trio. Attias sometimes uses the Wurlitzer as a voice that seconds his alto musings. Either way his alto work is smart and focused throughout. Merega expands from ostinatos to extended improvisational statements that build around the implications of what he has set up and responds readily and creatively to Attias and Takeishi and what they do. But then they can and do break it up and go beyond, always in a compositionally mindful way.

It is an integrated, compositionally structured freedom that keeps you interested and gives you some reassuring melodic road-maps so that the route seems apparent and has a logic.

I found it a fascinating set. Give it a good listen. It is worthy.