“intoxicating stuff.”
Leiter LTR062
Alden Hellmuth (alto saxophone); Logan Kane (bass); Miller Wrenn (bass); Justin Brown (drums)
Additional instrumentation by haana lee (sound design, effects & processing); Paul Cornish (piano); Sharada Shashidhar (voice & effects); Yakiv Tsvietinskyi (trumpet); Caleb Buchanan (guitar & effects)
The second album from the New York based alto saxophonist and composer Alden Hellmuth takes as its core an all acoustic quartet of alto, two basses and drums and drawing on the legacy of Ornette Coleman’s quartets and also John Coltrane with ‘Satellite (K) based on Coltrane’s composition.
However, there is no slavish copying from Hellmuth as she has cleverly distilled what she feels she can use in her own playing and composing, and her conception in combining the two bassists and drums, for the most part sans chordal instrument, brings forth a fresh ensemble sound that is sparingly enhanced by at times by voice, processing and effects.
A graduate of The Herbie Hancock Institute, Hellmuth grew up in Harford, Connecticut which was also home to altoist Jackie McLean, and there is something of McLean’s terse and acerbic tone in Alden’s sound and pithy solos as can be heard on the opening ‘Microfictions’.
Hellmuth displays a more overtly lyrical side to her playing on the opening statement of ‘Fake(rs) before staccato phrases take precedent in a wonderful dialogue with the twin basses. ‘Definitely Not Friends’ turns things round a little with a punchy theme for alto and trumpet with Bown’s intricate drumming and the basses fusing together superbly. From this solid base emerge a lyrical trumpet solo from Yakiv Tsvietinskyi and a carefully constructed offering from the saxophonist.
‘Guesswork’ is anything but, an excellent composition that features some wonderful interplay between also and trumpet that is a real joy with the most lyrical of solos from Hellmuth. The rhythmic framework and feel are loosened for ‘Satellite (K)’ and Justin Brown’s drumming moves between propulsive and swinging while providing apt commentary and support for the leader’s probing alto solo.
The variety to be found in the compositions, from tight yet flexible grooves and abstraction keep the music fresh and absorbing, no more so than on the abstract opening to ‘Witness’ that develops into a thoroughly engaging dialogue for alto and piano, with Paul Cornish proving to be an ideal partner for Hellmuth; while the album closes with the altogether tougher ‘Face The Wall’ with its strong contribution from Brown’s insistent and forceful drumming bringing forth another absorbing solo from Hellmuth and some dynamic playing, both arco and pizzicato from bassists Logan Kane and Miller Wrenn.
If quite a contrast to her debut album, Good Intentions, Alden Hellmuth sets out her own personal intentions in not letting her music but to continue to push at the boundaries of her own creativity, as well as those of her colleagues. The resultant music is intoxicating stuff.
