The prolific Rogue Art label has been doing right by multi-instrumentalist and composer Nicole Mitchell for years now, and this new offering may be the best and most mature Mitchell has waxed for the company. Largely comprising a suite, it brings together some staunch musical comrades in the context of a stunning new work for large ensemble, and the resulting music is pure dynamite.
It is no surprise to hear the flautist and composer in the company of tenor-man David Boykin, reeds-man Mwata Bowden and violinist Renee Baker, but they work their usual magic amidst a Polish ensemble in a 2010 live recording from that country. Mitchell's larger ensemble pieces thrive in a concert environment, and this one is no exception. Things get off to an explosive start, winds, brass, strings and rhythm section in frenetic dialogue, but in direct contrast to the serial Fletcher Henderson mode, simultaneity. All the more astonishing, then, that very soon after, everything grinds to a halt, and a momentary calm ensues in the form of a lush drone.
These sudden changes have always been a part of Mitchell's compositional aesthetic, but they have reached a new level of involvement and subtlety, imbuing every aspect of the music. Listen to the nearly cinematic way rhythmic language evolves in the suite's second part, skipping, jump-cut fashion, from moment to moment as the orchestration changes to match each rhythmic intricacy.
All of the playing is absolutely first-class, but I have never heard Mitchell perform so fluently. Her solo in the fifth section tells the story; there is nothing new about her voice and flute combinations, which can also be heard to great effect in Anthony Braxton's 2006 Iridium set, but in her own work, blues and "classical" archetypes vie for prominence with the inventiveness and spontaneity of Eric Dolphy or Jimmy Lyons.
By the time the full-on ensemble work returns to end the work almost as it began, a real sense of journey is palpable. The thematic recurrences, orchestral diversity and raw power of this performance make this an excellent entry point for anyone wishing to dig into this contemporary master's work.
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