99 times out of a 100, when a guy plays the bass clarinet, he’s using it as a double for something else, such as with guys from Marcus Miller to Harry Carney to Eric Dolphy. Todd Marcus seems to be first exception I’ve come across; this session has him blowing through the fiendishly tricky piece of wood the entire session, and he’s got an impressive tone to boot! He can make the unyielding instrument swing as on “The Adventures of Kang and Kodos” with the sound going from melancholy to rapid fire at the drop of a chord. Teamed with Xavier Davis-George Colligan/p, Eric Kennedy-Warren Wolf/dr and Eric Wheeler/b, Marcus works his horn through the obstacle course of songs that peep in and out like “Epistrophy” and can even deliver a cantoral chant on “Herod (Reflections).” Don Byron brings his Bb stick in for a few tunes and the coalescing of sounds is like the thickness of molasses and the sweetness of syrup on “Herod (Part 2) and the warm “Solstice.” A strong outing for everyone involved, and an invitation for all reed men to give this horn a try!
Hipnotic Records
www.toddmarcusjazz.com