Best known for his creative alto sax work, Jon Irabagon searches new musical lands with the tiny sopranino sax, teaming with pianist Matt Mitchell and the Mivos String Quartet for a two disc session that veers towards modern classical moods.
The two disc set is divided into “Invisible Guests” and “Dark Horizon: Live From the Mausoleum.” The former has Irabagon playing the sopranino without the mouthpiece for a six minute “Vignette” that includes dark strings underlying windy wisps and gasps, while the six part title pieces mixes dramatic piano with stark bowing, slashing blows and Bartokian harmonies. The eight pieces from a concert in Oslo, Norway have Irabagon in a solo format. The room has a rich echo that adds a haunting atmosphere to the pretty to screechy “Dark Horizon (entrance)” and the thick tone “Dragonwort.” The resonant atmosphere of the concert hall makes for palpable sonic effects, even on the eeriest and severest moments. Deeply personal extrapolations.