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Josh Berman Trio: A Dance And A Hop
ByA key player in the vibrant Chicago jazz scene, his cornet can be heard in vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz's Rolldown, The Chicago Luzern Exchange, Ken Vandermark's Audio One, and the rotating leader ensemble Fast Citizens. This, his third release as a true leader follows the octet recording There Now (Delmark, 2012) and his quintet Old Idea (Delmark, 2009).
The music here, although fully composed, feels off the cuff. That is, until you recognize just how tight this trio is. Berman chose bassist Jason Roebke and drummer Frank Rosaly, two players he has a long history with, as collaborators here. They negotiate the opening track "Hang Ups" with its incongruous jagged-to-serpentine course with an attention to detail that supposes Berman's slurred cornet and trot to gallop lines are the norm. Each piece here is miniaturized shout from Ornette Coleman enunciated through a Bill Dixon filter. Berman has the knack for making sense of an extended trumpet technique within a melody. He brings it home via familiar forms, as in "Blues," or the lazy coolness of "Today's Date."
From thirty thousand feet this music is nondescript. But close up, the physicality of Roebke's bass and the engaged swing of Rosaly's drums ignite the cornetist's language. His dances included not just a hop, but a dash, a bolt, a scurry and a slide. The details here make for an intoxicating experience.
Track Listing
Hang Ups; Blues; Wooden; Tine/Trouble; Your Uncle; Mint; That’s How; Luggage; Bridges; Today’’s Date; Cold Snap.
Personnel
Josh Berman
cornetJosh Berman: cornet; Jason Roebke: bass; Frank Rosaly: drums.
Album information
Title: A Dance And A Hop | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Delmark Records
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