Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Paul Hartsaw Tentet in Chicago, 2004


As anyone who reads my blogs knows, Chicago is a territory of great interest to me musically. The same with Boston, New York, New Orleans and in the widest sense, Europe.

Why? Not to take away from other scenes, many of which produce good things, but these aforementioned locales produce new and exciting music on a consistent basis. I speak of the jazz/improv front.

So today if you don't mind I want to backtrack to a slightly earlier release by the Paul Hartsaw Tentet, Chicago 2004 (Metastablesound). This is a formidable lineup captured live. Paul Hartsaw plays the tenor and soprano sax, there are two musicans doing live electronics (among other things) and otherwise a kind of all-star Chicagoland cast that includes Josh Berman on cornet, Jeb Bishop, trombone, Keefe Jackson and Dave Rempis on reeds and Frank Rosaly on drums, along with several others with whom I am not as familiar.

The music alternates between collective freedom, swinging barnstorming outness, interesting written ensemble passages and pure adventure. Jeb Bishop plays a solo that steps up to your speakers and blows you out, but there is plenty of well-conceived and excellent music to be heard here. This one may be a little hard to find but it is well worth searching out. It is yet more evidence that Chicago keeps on shining with some blazingly sunny musical days.

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