Ideal Bread is a quartet consisting of baritone saxophonist Josh Sinton (a former Chicagoan who studied with Allan Chase, Ari Brown, and Ken Vandermark), trumpeter Kirk Knuffke, bassist Reuben Radding and Boston-based drummer Tomas Fujiwara. Their modus operandi is to explore the compositions of Steve Lacy, though unlike other Lacy tributes – such as those by straight-hornmen Joe Giardullo and Jurg Wickihalder – there is no soprano saxophone present. After all, there’s a tendency to compare soprano saxophonists to Lacy when inhabiting the same musical territory, even when they sound very little like the elder statesman. The inclusion of baritone does separate Ideal Bread a bit, but only superficially, as Lacy used baritone players like Charles Davis and Charles Tyler in his bands (and even Jimmy Giuffre reportedly worked the low horn alongside Lacy at one point). Lacy’s compositions are also tremendously orchestrated and often have a more pronounced bottom end than might at first be apparent.
Sinton states in the liners how Ideal Bread intend to do for Lacy what Lacy did for Monk’s music in the early ‘60s; namely, work with the tunes to show the possibilities that lay beyond their basic structures. Here, they’re using tunes mostly from the mid- to late-70s as springboards, including cuts from Trickles (Black Saint, 1976) and the underrated NY Capers & Quirks (Hat Hut, 1981). The earliest piece here is “Esteem,” first recorded in 1972 on The Gap (America), which its composer dedicated to Johnny Hodges. Whereas the original was a poem of piercing tones, Ideal Bread moves the piece into an elegiac melody of orchestral weight – massive in unison yet microcosmic from bar to bar.
Radding takes the first solo spot into a mini-concerto, his arco thick and trailed by throaty whispers of horsehairs and Fujiwara’s mallets. Sinton’s baritone is smoke and slippery cadences, building into growls and slurs but harping on delicacy of digits. Likewise, Knuffke’s stately pathos tells one more about “Esteem” in a few held half-valves than most trumpeters could in a lifetime. Sinton and Knuffke make an interesting front-line pair, hard-charging baritone panning sound while the trumpeter’s self-assured assimilation of the postbop language into free playing is extraordinarily fresh and gimmick-free.
“Bud’s Brother” was written for Richie Powell, like all of Lacy’s tunes having a curious dedicatee whose connection to the theme might seem spurious. After all, one of the most raucous lines on The Gap, “La Motte Piquet,” was appended with the composer’s statement that “Sonny Clark always liked this sort of tune.” Uh huh. The head of “Bud’s Brother” is a deft trip of ascending and descending flicks, singsong and blur. Sinton takes the first solo, worrying thematic fragments and toying with them like a dog shaking a stuffed toy as Radding and Fujiwara skip the tempo like stones. Soon, a baritone pyramid is built and the trio is far from anything Lacy could’ve imagined. Knuffke is steely cry, working threads over a massive ensemble drone until he and Fujiwara take the reins as a duo, brassy particulates assembled in clear lines atop a blur of gong-and-tom motion.
The only unfortunate thing about The Ideal Bread is the fact that it is a limited edition CDR release, and will probably be long gone by the time the jazz world catches up. It’s a shame because not only is the playing extraordinary, but the germinating ideas and the conviction with which the group approaches them is something that a lot of people in this music could learn from.
~ Clifford Allen
Posted by clifford on July 13, 2008 9:25 PMNice review, Clifford. I agree entirely. This release is better than Knuffke's Clean Feed, I think.
Posted by: Jason at July 14, 2008 7:27 AMI've been meaning to get into Steve Lacy. I've heard a couple late seventies concerts, which I've enjoyed. Can anyone recommend one indispensable Lacy recording? I'm a girl on a budget.
Posted by: Michael C. at July 14, 2008 1:22 PM"Trickles" on Soul Note is a killer.
So is "School Days" on HatHut.
So are many others. So many others!
Appreciated the nice review, Clifford. All should be aware that though the CD-R is hard to find now, the cuts are all available electronically at ITunes, Amazon, and CD Baby.
The CD-R is available directly from me; there are some copies left. You can also try Downtown Music Gallery, Cadence, and Squidco.
Posted by: Eric Devin at July 14, 2008 2:13 PMThe CD-R is available directly from me; there are some copies left. You can also try Downtown Music Gallery, Cadence, and Squidco.
Posted by: Eric Devin at July 14, 2008 3:05 PMNo emusic? Agreed on Reuben's arco sound, I spent a lot of time trying to figure it out with no luck!
Posted by: damon Smith at July 14, 2008 8:59 PMHaven't heard this, but I applaud the notion of bringing Lacy's music into the repertoire. Not many have gone there, and if it took Lacy teaching at the NEC to fire up some younger players (or sadly enough, his passing) so be it. With luck many of his tunes will be "standards" (or "futurities," as he put it) in the years to come.
Posted by: Paul B at July 15, 2008 4:50 AMI got a last minute call a few weeks ago, to play a gig doing all Lacy tunes. I had a few hours to learn nine tunes, I had heard all of them a hundred times so that helped. It was hard but a lot of fun.
It is great music.
Didn't mean to imply the disc was "unobtainable" or any slight to KMB's efforts at getting this music out there. It's just so wonderful that I wish more people could hear it. Seriously one of the most inspiring things I've heard in a while. Good to know it'll remain up for download.
Posted by: clifford at July 15, 2008 9:18 AMRova's Bruce Ackley (soprano) and Bay Area saxophonist Phillip Greenleaf (alto) have been performing Lacy's "Tips" on a semi-regular basis (not sure who the vocalist is). Of course, Rova's "Favorite Street" was probably the first great interpretation of Lacy's music.
Damon, what tunes did you play at the gig?
Posted by: Paul B at July 15, 2008 11:12 AMClifford-
No offense taken, and thanks again for the review, especially how promptly you did it. Josh Sinton and I have been discussing an aluminum disc reissue, likely a low-price double disc combining the stuff from the CD-R with some live tracks.
Additionally, Irene Aebi was pleased with this disc, and had discussed getting notation for more material with Josh, so there will hopefully be additional records from Ideal Bread.
Josh is also working on Lacy's saxophone etudes; I am excited to hear them.
The singer on the "Tips" project is Aurora Josephson.
The tunes I played were Prospectus, the Bath, I Feel a Draft, The Crust, The Uh Uh Uh, Bone, and a few others.
The group I subbed with was Greenlief's Lost Trio with Jorrit Dijkstra.
Answer to Michael C
quote
I've been meaning to get into Steve Lacy. I've heard a couple late seventies concerts, which I've enjoyed. Can anyone recommend one indispensable Lacy recording? I'm a girl on a budget.
Posted by: Michael C. at July 14, 2008 1:22 PM
quote
First there are two sort of answers 1. consumer's one 2 one of a soprano saxist playing S Lacy tunes by example Gianni Mimmo ( he has a nice myspace.com site and stands among my myspace friends.
1/ Consumer's one :
http://senators.free.fr/web_stuff/NavbarFrames/Framesets/FrSet_Welcome.html
My taste is :
Trio live 1977 Lacy Carter Centazzo Ictus reedited by Ictus Cd USA in a big 12 cd's box.
Duo Maarten Altena- Steve Lacy 1979 Claxon LP reissued Hat art.
Hooky Lacy solo Montreal 1975 Emanem
The Weal and The Woe on Emanem including the reissue of the solo "au Théatre du Chêne Noir " famous first solo live lp of the master issued by Emanem 1974/75
Stabs Live in Berlin solo Saj 1975
Shots : duo Lacy & Masa Kwate on french Musica label vinyl .
10 of Duke's + 6 originals Senators
The Rent double cd of the trio Lacy / Avenel / Betsch Cave Search USA label . The french Free Lance issued two nice trio cds Bye-Ya (1996) and The Holy La (1998) of the same trio .
Let's Call This Esteem : Mal Waldron Steve Lacy duo on the UK Slam Label.
Company Four Bailey and Lacy 1977. Incus lp
The Way on Hart art with the seventies quintet.
Only Monk and More Monk solo on Soul Note
And many others like live at the Sunset Quartet on Hat Art....
2/ My friend Gianni Mimmo is the greatest Steve Lacy connoisseur i have ever met besides the people who played with nhim like Kent Carter, Steve Potts, Irene Aebi, JJ Avenel who I ahve never met.
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