Once upon a time, it was radical to have horns without a piano or guitar. Nowadays it’s de riguer…
Ten tunes by the trio of alto saxist Adam Siegel, bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Tani Tabbal feature conversational connections and mind reading signals. Siegal’s reeds are warm for the angular weaving through Bisio’s bass on “Arrested Confusion” while the two bop on the sleek pulsations on “Khusenaton”. Tabbal’s cymbals bounce around the quirky bopper “Midway Open” and creates an avalanche on the freeride of the wild title pieces. The three get melancholy for “r. henri” and are as crisp as Lays’ Potato chips on the upbeat “Inky Bud”. Tradition with a few twists.
Anna Webber plays tenor sax, Adam O’Farrill is on trumpet, Nick Dunston plays the bass with Raf Vertessen leading from the drums on this collection of originals by the stick man. The horns puff like cirrus clouds on the mournful “LOI” and hover with long tones during “#1”. Things get a bit squawky with some mouthpiece musings and tonal trials on “Layers” and the horns get into a Neopolitan traffic jam during the rush hour of “#4” with buzzing, bowing and crashes on fender benders. Some loose Mingusy moments pop up on “Cardinali 2+3” and the team hobbles along like a three legged race to “FAKE 3:7”. Dangling conversations.