The always interesting Cuneiform label offers up this quartet's scorching debut. It comprises seven compositions by the widely traveled bassist Carlo De Rosa, which he performs with vigor and conviction alongside Blue Note recording artist Mark Shim, piano virtuoso Vijay Iyer and drummer Justin Brown, whose extraordinary chops and feeling get a rare outing on disc. The group has been making waves in New York clubs for some time, which would account for the air-tight precision that informs every tune, no matter what the style.
"Circular Woes" kicks things off with some high-gear unisons, and already, the band's multiple musical allegiances are in play as Brown and Iyer evoke late 1970s fusion, with punchy Rhodes and splashes of reggae drumming, over De Rosa's sinewy and heavily syncopated melody. De Rosa and Shim engage in some high-power free-bop, the whole taking on the telepathic feel of the middle 1960s Miles Davis quintet but with a definite nod toward more current sounds.
Compare the opener with the concluding "Route 17" to get a feel for the quartet's diversity. While the Monkish accents still pervade the melody, the group aesthetic is now more expressionistic. Iyer's solo, again on Fender Rhodes, channels Lennie Tristano and Herbie Nichols in direct contrast to the meaty electric bass lines De Rosa lays down.
Introspection is at a bit of a premium, but the patient listener is duly rewarded. Just check out the stealthy opening of the title track, and the serene "Maja," sporting some of Brown's excellent brushwork over a hazy backdrop of acoustic piano and nostalgically vibrato-laden saxophone.
This is a fascinating group, and not since Henry Threadgill's recent projects have I heard such a convincing cross-pollination of genres. If there is a bit of compositional sameness throughout, the composer's voice is still unique, and I trust that the language of future efforts will diversify.
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