Saxophonist Tony Malaby spent a significant portion of his formative years as a resident of Tucson, Arizona. That early history colors his new Clean Feed effort from the Latino Catholic iconography of the cover to the searchingly theistic mood of various pieces. The compositions pivot mainly on porous riffs: the sort of territory well-suited to his heavyweight partners, bassist William Parker and drummer Nasheet Waits. Parker defers often to muscular, if somewhat easily mappable, vamps and ostinatos. That preference sometimes strays toward the methodical, but there’s no denying the brawn and breadth of his delivery. A penchant for snapping slackened strings stridently against bridge is also in prevalent effect. His arco work is surprisingly raw and he rakes his bow across strings like a chipped straight razor hiccupping across a leather sharpening strap. It’s a bit disconcerting, particularly on the somber “Floral and Herbacious[sic]”, but sounds purely intentional. Waits approximates a hydroelectric dynamo, scaring up surging polyrhythms with a surety that recalls Elvin Jones.
Malaby, while receptive to the bridled energy, relinquishes little in terms of positioning or clout. His textured tenor play balances tenderness with authority. On the title piece the outcome is like a blending of Ayler and Jim Pepper, repeating trills soaring and falling atop a tumbling avalanche of rhythm. As galvanizing as his work is on the larger horn, it’s his incisive soprano that truly commands attention, particularly on the moody “Mariposa”. The clarity and liquidity of tone on “Mother’s Love” approximates that of a Native American flute as Parker plucks clipped harmonics and Waits ranges over his kit with whispering brushes. Parker’s switch to bow finds much of the grit and bite of his earlier sawing replaced with a disarming beauty. “Floating Head” carries the album out in a manner akin to how it opens with the three sprinting forward on another flexing vamp and syncopated beat.
Malaby continues to shoulder hits from certain circles that deem him a player prone to passivity. The music on this disc, while checkered with a few rough spots, refutes that contention summarily though it certainly helps having improv athletes of the caliber of Parker and Waits on the team.
~ Derek Taylor
Posted by derek on January 7, 2008 6:23 AMDunno, I've been pretty underwhelmed by this recent batch of Clean Feeds myself.
Posted by: Dan Warburton at January 7, 2008 9:45 AMEven the Dennis G, Dan? Damn. Without breaking your current code of review curtailment care to dole out some specifics?
Posted by: derek at January 7, 2008 9:59 AMDerek, who are these misguided souls who criticize Malaby for 'passivity', & what do they mean by it?
I have to admit that I wasn't really thrilled by the trio with Gress & Motian, but I thought Malaby was great on COSAS, SABINO & APPARITIONS, not to mention the Open Loose records.
And Dan, do tell which of the Clean Feeds one can skip with a clear conscience...my bank balance will be eternally grateful...
Posted by: Bill_R at January 7, 2008 9:49 PMThe Dennis and the last Scott Fields I enjoyed more, for sure. As for saving your conscience Bill, what about mine?! You put me in a spot! I can tell you I didn't really like the Lehman, Neto and O Leary discs on first listening, but that's all they've had so far - one listening. I have to go back to the Karayorgis and Roberston discs. I'm being more selective with my listening time at the moment, and spending more time watching movies too. So I don't think it'd be fair for me either to review or to pass judgement after one listen, do you? I can usually tell when someone reviews one of my things after just one listen, and it's frustrating to read. I do think that the two bass hit of Bisio and Flaten could have been more impressive on the Gauci though.
Posted by: Dan Warburton at January 7, 2008 10:27 PM
Bill, don’t want to call anyone out, but from what I gather a general contention in the Malaby skeptic camp is that he has an occasional habit of playing half-assed &/or on autopilot, not really pushing himself or his partners and also bringing an intrusive degree of premeditation to his improvisations. I can sort of see how someone might form that opinion even though I completely disagree with it. Malaby isn’t a Brötzmann or a Gayle and sometimes his subtlty can be mistaken for passivity. That’s part of what I like about this record. It puts him in a context where assertiveness and spontaneity are virtual imperatives.
Dan, looks like it’s a question of batches. I have a hard time keeping track of what’s in what. I was counting the Neto, Fields, Robertson and O’Leary in the last one, not the latest, which in my parcel included the Dennis, Lehman, MI3, Gauci and Malaby titles. Whew! Clean Feed’s the Ken Vandermark of recording labels and is to be admired for it, IMO.
Posted by: derek at January 8, 2008 6:27 AMHi all:
For what it's worth, every time I have seen Tony Malaby play live, he has more than delivered the goods in terms of commitment, intensity, inventiveness, and just all around playing his ass-off-ness.
My two cents.
I've only seen Malaby thrice, but completely concur with Daniel's assessment.
Posted by: derek at January 8, 2008 5:53 PMMalaby is incredible. That guy has creativity in reserve. I played with him twice, he is a masterful improvisor. I have this but I have been caught up in listening to things more related to my recent concerts. I need to give it a solid listen.
Nasheet Waits is really doing nice work lately.
I have liked the recent Clean feeds, I have to agree with Dan on the Gauci, the MI 3 is a let down, but the Robertson is very solid, as is the Gonzales.
As far as Lehman, I have really enjoyed his last two where his earlier work did not grab me as a listener, obviously he is great player.
I thought you were down with the Gauci, Damon, if mostly because of the basses.
Agree, Lehman’s been making sizeable strides, but I still dig his early work on those Braxton CIMPs. Waits works well on both sides of the imaginary jazz divide, bringing it to the kit for everyone from Antonio Hart to Von Freeman to Brötzmann. Haven’t sat down with the latest MI3 yet, but I really enjoyed their last set with Karayorgis rockin’ the electric on those Monk tunes.
Posted by: derek at January 8, 2008 7:44 PMI just agree that the two bass hit could have been stronger, but it is amazing to hear them just the same. I am listening to the Malaby with my espresso and I am four tracks in and already I do not agree with your assessment of Parker - this is some of the most beautiful, interactive and subtle playing I have heard from him in recent years.
Tony is brilliant and again Nasheet is great. He can work with the vamps Parker has developed with Drake over the years but he keeps it from being default.
Those familiar vamps are a big part of my reservation with Parker’s playing here. Sort of a been there done that feeling. Also, I think his arco tone is pretty ragged (even if intentionally so) & not on par with the precision he’s capable of. All that said, I still appreciate a lot of what he does in this context and “Mother’s Love” is the exception to the aforementioned arco caveat, absolutely beautiful bow work there. No complaints about Malaby and Waits.
Posted by: derek at January 9, 2008 12:35 PMI thought his arco was nice, I think him and Kowald both deliberately avoid a classical sound - and successfully so.
On a technical note, most of the arco here is with traditional technique (pressing the string on the fringerboard) as opposed to the various extended techniques he normally uses.
I love the burly sound he gets - I feel it is missing in my own playing.
Reuben gets that power and fullness with a lot more precision, but I still love William's playing on this.
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