Dancing in a Political World
KENDRICK SCOTT ORACLE
A Wall Becomes a Bridge
Blue Note
Culturally aware, historically inclusive, produced by Derrick Hodge with some startling sonic effects, swinging madly and beautifully arranged, A Wall Becomes a Bridge once again confirms Kendrick Scott as one of the finest drummers of his generation, as well as a thoughtful composer with deep reserves and compelling ideas.
Three years ago I was lucky to catch Scott’s live response to the murder of Philando Castile in his bold, moving solo piece, “Philando.” Composed and performed using Sunhouse Sensory Percussion, it showcased Scott’s ability to turn tragedy into concise vistas of sound. A Wall Becomes a Bridge finds him digging deeper and coming up with what is essentially a 12-song cycle covering black history, racism, black music, and contemporary sociopolitics in an uplifting way that both reveres the past and presses into the future. Scott is joined by his longtime Oracle quintet of guitarist Mike Moreno, pianist Taylor Eigsti, reedist John Ellis, and bassist Joe Sanders (with the addition of turntablist Jahi Sundance).
This album is blessed with the spirit of the dance. Every song glides, pulsates, and glows—from Scott’s graceful drumming to the Bennie Maupin-worthy textures of Ellis. Oracle simmers where many would bash, focuses on a single flame where others would fan a firestorm. It’s an album of lovely moments, rewarding (and enabling) focused attention, drawing the listener in with its tranquil state. Surely to be ranked among 2019’s best jazz recordings, A Wall Becomes a Bridge spreads a serene and powerful spell.
KEN MICALLEF
ANTHONY BRAXTON
GTM (Syntax) 2017
New Braxton House
Certain recording projects are so vast in their conceptual scope that attempting to process their remit can feel like being a test pilot in a science-fiction drama. So, buckle up, buckaroo, for this 12-CD Anthony Braxton odyssey that features none of Braxton’s horn play and centers exclusively on his vision as a composer for voice of what Braxton terms the Rosetta Stone of his music systems, that being the Ghost Trance Music compositional decoder ring. I can find that kind of thing screwy—if you have to serve me much exegesis in terms of what you’re up to, the music is normally not accessible. Luckily, for all of his depth, Braxton has always been. Mostly. This isn’t exactly sitting down to kick back with a Horace Silver jam, but we have entered the lair of the jazz sirens.
The Tri-Centric Vocal Ensemble is, suggesting a laboratory rather than a recording studio. With the opening “Composition No. 192,” funereal voices enter as if borne atop winds, remnants from a concluded service for the dead. Those voices modulate into a bebop bridge that sounds like a choir of Charlie Parker solos.
