Territory Band "Company Switch" 2xCD - Ken Vandermark and an AMAZING ensemble!

Description: Here we have a shining example of jazz exploration at its most audacious, from saxophonist Ken Vandermark and his ever-shifting ensemble THE TERRITORY BAND: Company Switch, a double CD released in 2005 by Okka Disc. The Territory Band is an international collection of musicians, first organized by Vandermark in the start of 2000 as a large ensemble investigation of composition and improvisation. Since each album features a somewhat different lineup, the band is numbered... so Company Switch was performed by Territory Band 4. With players as good as the ones participating here, one ought to have high expectations. Sure enough, the sparks fly fast and furious here. The review below says it better then I can. Both discs show VERY slight wear, but look great and play flawlessly. Track listingDisc 1 1. Killing Floor (For Sebastiao Salgado) 17:29 2. Reverse One (For Abdul Wadud) 7:47 3. Franja (For Dr. Franja Bojc) 20:54 Disc 2 1. Vertical 8 (For Milton Babbitt) 11:53 2. Reverse Two (For David Tudor) 10:07 3. Local Works (For Stanley Kubrick) 19:06 Saxophones, Clarinet – Ken Vandermark Saxophones – Dave Rempis Saxophones, Clarinet – Fredrik Ljungkvist Trombone – Jeb Bishop Trumpet – Axel Doerner Piano – Jim Baker Bass – Kent Kessler Cello – Fred Lonberg-Holm Electronics – Lasse Marhaug Percussion – Paul Lytton Percussion – Paal Nilssen-Love *** Ken Vandermark's fourth collection with the Territory Band, Company Switch, continues to mine ideas too big for the Vandermark 5. Lasse Marhaug, who replaces Kevin Drumm on electronics, seems more inclined to contribute color and texture to the ensemble's experimentation. Given Vandermark's imagination and the assembly of musicians, sparks fly and vast amounts of musical landscape are covered on this two-disc set. Crackly loops approximate fire that explodes into electrical noise on the opening "Killing Floor." The rhythm section rises out of the dust with horn riffs, loops, and Dave Rempis' reedy blasting. Bishop spars with Marhaug while sparse, well-counted blasts constitute a supporting arrangement. With the band reduced to a low drone, including a bass clarinet imitating a didjeridoo, Axel Doerner essays a soulful trumpet solo. Jim Baker takes an off-kilter walk on piano, leaving it to the percussionists to tap and knock skittishly until Marhaug's electrical blast returns with the raging horns. Staying consistently understated, "Reverse One" utilizes small contributions of sounds from each musician for an extended reverie. Baker plays a tentative piano line through an abstract electronic whisper and close horns to open "Franja." The rhythm section coalesces behind a lightly swinging tenor that bears down, increasing in tempo. Vandermark flexes some baritone muscle, followed by an electro sound wash from Marhaug. Bishop leads a charge back to the original piano line. The second disc begins with "Vertical 8." Restless, shifting percussion sees the rise and fall of a simple figure played by the horns, giving way to Fred Lonberg-Holm's incendiary cello. "Reverse Two" again features Baker's introspective piano, this time with more unexpected electronic interaction. Doerner blazes through the rhythm section and grainy electronics to propel "Local Works." Rempis fans the flames, then Baker takes over, with cascading horns sweeping him along. A Kessler/Lonberg-Holm duo resolves into a busy ensemble finish. This welcome addition to the Territory Band's small discography shows Vandermark thinking and playing big. Often blurring the lines between composition and improvisation, the Territory Band provides a satisfying outlet for his greater ambitions. ~ Rex Butters, All About Jazz

Price: 20 USD

Location: Brentwood, California

End Time: 2024-11-26T08:17:03.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5 USD