Michael Bisio, Accortet

It has been a long road for bassist, composer, leader Michael Bisio. I measured the span of his experiences, or rather he told of them to me in my extensive interview with him published a few years ago in All About Jazz (look it up on their site). And yet of course the road rolls on, with some exceptional interactions of late with piano master Matt Shipp and, in a CD due out this September 11th, Accortet (Relative Pitch 1040).

Accortet brings together an excellent and unusual quartet in an all-Bisio composition set. What is unusual is the presence of the accordion as a central component of the sound, in place of a piano or guitar as the chordal and improvisatory fulcrum point of the music. Art Bailey plays it with true artistry, comping, lining, doing it all as perhaps only he can. On cornet is Kirk Knuffke, a player who has become a central figure in the new jazz these days. His playing here gives us many reasons why. On drums is the talented and swinging Michael Wimberly, who holds forth with a propulsive and well throught-out time-and-beyond. Then of course Michael comes at us on double bass, in the ensemble and in the solo realm.

Michael's playing processes the bass from its rootedness in jazz tradition through the avant in ways that show him one of the primary stylistic and virtuoso masters of the bass arts today. He has a pizzicato and a bowing approach that identify him immediately (in a blindfold test, let's say) as a player with the deep tone of bass greats yet a mercurial imagination that makes for noteful significance and real originality. You can hear that very much on the Accortet sides.

There are nine excellent compositional vehicles, some swinging and changes-based, others outside and multi-tempoed in a free way. They help make this release central.

And then the way the foursome work together collectively and individually is something to hear. There is inspired lucidity in the improvisational interactions. Knuffke gives us some of his best work, Bailey is terrific, Wimberly does everything right and of course Michael comes through with some of his most varied and eloquent playing, channeling everything into a Bisionian expression. You can listen to what he does alone with great profit. But of course it is in the end the totality which excels, the combination of great tunes and great playing.

It is a bellweather of where Michael has gone but especially where he is. He has come far and this shows us some of that traveling as well as the current state-of-the-art.

Michael Bisio tops the list not only of bassists today, but also of complete jazz artists. The album has a beautifully totalized quality to it. It is essential as a present-day example of not just the bass arts, but the jazz arts, too. Grab a copy!!

Max Johnson Trio, Something Familiar

Blossoming bassist-composer-bandleader Max Johnson gives us his best album to date with Something Familiar (Fresh Sound New Talent). It's a trio with Kirk Knuffke on trumpet, Ziv Ravitz on drums and of course Max on bass. The trio is especially well-matched and very much a three-way affair.

Kirk is one of the brighter lights on the new horn scene and he plays bop-and-after cool-heat with some extraordinarily nice solo work on this one. Max is a bassist with much to offer and the ability to articulate his thoughts percussively and in a full-toned way. Ziv swings and swings with imagination and heat. I don't have the back cover on this one but it sounds like these are Max's tunes. They come across well.

It's a fully varied program of smokers and balladic things. Max shows you that he is the complete bassist and a voice to contend with, a leader of stature, a soloist of power and ideas. Knuffke sounds great as ever. Ziv has the touch and the feel to make it all pop.

It is a real joy to hear this! Anyone who digs modern-and-beyond jazz should get this one. Bassists need to hear it. It just lays right so, what the heck, everybody should get into it.

Great outing!

Max Johnson Trio, The Invisible Trio

Up-and-thriving free jazz bassist Max Johnson has gone into overdrive lately after some time making the scene around New York. He has a recording recently out and there's another on the way.

The one that's ready-in-hand is the Max Johnson Trio's The Invisible Trio (Fresh Sounds). The music stands out with a good gathering of Max of course on bass and compositions, Kirk Knuffke on cornet and Ziv Ravitz on drums.

Ravitz does yeoman service in a relaxed, swinging and tumbling mode. Kirk Knuffke comes through with that post-bop purity of tone, that wealth of ideas and heat. And Max kicks in with some very out-front and inspired bass. I knew he was good. I didn't know he had attained this level, though, until I heard this. It brings it home to you that the cat has arrived, so to speak. He is a leader in a convincing way.

So we get a very hip set of music that sparkles in almost classical new thing ways. Very recommended!

The Dickens Campaign, Oh Lovely Appearance

Who are the Dickens Campaign and why that name? Dickens...as in Deric Dickens, drummer, composer, bandleader. Their first album, Oh Lovely Appearance (Mole Tree Music 003), finally has made its way to the top of my review pile, and I am glad for it, because it's a different sort of sound. Deric on drums, Kirk Knuffke on cornet and Jesse Lewis on electric guitar.

The music can be compositional, free-flowing open-air spatial, or it can get a bit of a rock edge especially with Jesse's fine guitar work. There are things that look to an earlier time while looking ahead, and there are things that just sound like these three when they get together. Kirk plays some terrific cornet throughout, clean or brassy, a real phraser. He writes some game tunes here also (as does Dickens).

Deric plays some very propulsive drums which sound just right in this somewhat spare, spatially wide threesome. Jesse plays some very hip guitar here also.

There is an inextricability to this--like Giuffre's threesomes with Jim Hall (RIP, Jim), there's no taking away any of them. It's a three-way sound that has been fashioned with some care and each has a vital role to play.

There is something old, classic in its newness, especially coming out of Kirk. That doesn't mean he is in any way old-school, but the sound is classic.

This one is a definite score. Listen a few times and you'll get something you can't really find elsewhere.

Recommended!