Virtuosic and inventive New York trumpeter Ralph Alessi has worked with everyone from Uri Caine to Michael Formanek as well his own bands. As the century progresses he\u2019s also become involved in international projects like the ones here. Melt all the Guns II is a new chapter in the saga of Brookly\/Berlin drummer Devin Gray\u2019s trio with the trumpet and new member, French pianist Myslaure Augustin. Mechanics of Nature on the other hand links Alessi with the Polish-Danish Beat Freaks quartet of guitarist Micha\u0142 Starkiewicz, bassist Flavio Gullotta, tenor saxophonist Tomasz Licak and drummer Radek Wo\u015bko.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Unlike Melt all the Guns, created with familiar associates, Mechanics of Nature is a first-time meeting between the trumpet and the quartet. However there\u2019s no grandstanding or feeling of star soloist with backing band. Starkiewicz, who composed nine of the 14 tracks here, and Licak work together often and comping textures from the bassist and drummer fit in as well.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Ironically it\u2019s the track entitled \u201cBroken\u201d which best show this cooperation. Rubbed and slurred fingering from the guitarist and hard pummeling from the drummer frame the horns ascending and descending pitches. Brass triplets and note-bending reed squeaks develop into a contrapuntal challenge by the end.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
With volume often pushing him to the background, Gullotta\u2019s supple string movements move upfront during the introduction to \u201cLifeline (Interlude)\u201d, where guitar strums and horn ascension are expressed in finished form on the subsequent \u201cLifeline\u201d. Melded with field recordings of voices and automobile movement, the narrative is hammered out with brass triplets and sax snarls, carefully balancing noise and music. Further interaction from irregular drum patterns and harsh trumpet tonguing serves a similar function on \u201cOne Of The Last Derkacz\u201d alongside the sounds of piercing sirens and loudspeaker announcements.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
While some tracks reach prestissimo affiliations with buzzing accents from the bass and drums, guitar string whistles and horn vamps, not every exposition is as vigorous. For instance \u201cElephant Song\u201d is a gentling ballad based around Starkiewicz\u2019s adagio strums, note-bending tones from Alessi, Licak\u2019s graceful harmonies and Gullotta\u2019s responsive string thumps.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In familiar territory or intersecting with new playing partners, Alessi\u2019s brass command shows why he\u2019s one of the busiest trumpeters on the New York scene. His associates on both discs are no slouches as improvisers either.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u2013Ken Waxman<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Personnel: Mechanics: Ralph Alessi (trumpet); Tomasz Licak (tenor saxophone); Micha\u0142 Starkiewicz (guitar); Flavio Gullotta (bass) and Radek Wo\u015bko (drums)
https:\/\/www.jazzword.com\/reviews\/the-beat-freaks-ralph-alessi\/
<\/p>\r\n
Wirtuozerski i pomys\u0142owy nowojorski tr\u0119bacz Ralph Alessi wsp\u00f3\u0142pracowa\u0142 ju\u017c z ka\u017cdym \u2013 od Uriego Caine’a po Michaela Formaneka \u2013 a tak\u017ce prowadzi\u0142 w\u0142asne zespo\u0142y. W miar\u0119 up\u0142ywu nowego stulecia zacz\u0105\u0142 anga\u017cowa\u0107 si\u0119 r\u00f3wnie\u017c w projekty mi\u0119dzynarodowe, takie jak te omawiane tutaj. Melt all the Guns II<\/i> to nowy rozdzia\u0142 w sadze tria brookli\u0144sko-berli\u0144skiego perkusisty Devina Graya, nagrany z udzia\u0142em tr\u0119bacza oraz nowej cz\u0142onkini sk\u0142adu, francuskiej pianistki Myslaure Augustin. Z kolei Mechanics of Nature<\/i> \u0142\u0105czy Alessiego z polsko-du\u0144skim kwartetem The Beat Freaks, w sk\u0142ad kt\u00f3rego wchodz\u0105 gitarzysta Micha\u0142 Starkiewicz, basista Flavio Gullotta, saksofonista tenorowy Tomasz Licak oraz perkusista Radek Wo\u015bko.<\/p>\r\n
W przeciwie\u0144stwie do Melt all the Guns<\/i>, stworzonego w gronie dobrze znanych sobie wsp\u00f3\u0142pracownik\u00f3w, Mechanics of Nature<\/i> to pierwsze spotkanie tr\u0119bacza z tym kwartetem. Nie ma tu jednak mowy o grze pod publiczk\u0119 czy poczuciu, \u017ce mamy do czynienia z gwiazd\u0105 estrady i akompaniuj\u0105cym jej zespo\u0142em. Starkiewicz, kt\u00f3ry skomponowa\u0142 dziewi\u0119\u0107 z czternastu utwor\u00f3w na p\u0142ycie, oraz Licak pracuj\u0105 ze sob\u0105 regularnie, a uzupe\u0142niaj\u0105ce tekstury basisty i perkusisty doskonale si\u0119 w to wpisuj\u0105.<\/p>\r\n
Paradoksalnie to w\u0142a\u015bnie utw\u00f3r zatytu\u0142owany \u201eBroken\u201d najlepiej obrazuje t\u0119 wsp\u00f3\u0142prac\u0119. Potarte i \u015blizgaj\u0105ce si\u0119 palce gitarzysty na gryfie oraz mocne, uderzaj\u0105ce wej\u015bcia perkusisty stanowi\u0105 ram\u0119 dla wznosz\u0105cych si\u0119 i opadaj\u0105cych d\u017awi\u0119k\u00f3w sekcji d\u0119tej. Triole tr\u0105bki i przeci\u0105gane, piskliwe d\u017awi\u0119ki stroika rozwijaj\u0105 si\u0119 pod koniec w kontrapunktyczne wyzwanie.<\/p>\r\n
Cho\u0107 poziom g\u0142o\u015bno\u015bci cz\u0119sto spycha go na dalszy plan, elastyczne partie strunowe Gullotty wysuwaj\u0105 si\u0119 na prz\u00f3d podczas wst\u0119pu do \u201eLifeline (Interlude)\u201d, gdzie uderzenia w struny gitary i wznosz\u0105ca si\u0119 linia d\u0119ciak\u00f3w zyskuj\u0105 pe\u0142n\u0105 form\u0119 w nast\u0119puj\u0105cym po nim utworze \u201eLifeline\u201d. Wtopiona w terenowe nagrania g\u0142os\u00f3w i ruchu samochodowego narracja jest wykuwana za pomoc\u0105 triol tr\u0105bki i warkni\u0119\u0107 saksofonu, starannie balansuj\u0105c mi\u0119dzy ha\u0142asem a muzyk\u0105. Kolejne interakcje wynikaj\u0105ce z nieregularnych motyw\u00f3w perkusyjnych i szorstkiej artykulacji j\u0119zykowej tr\u0105bki spe\u0142niaj\u0105 podobn\u0105 funkcj\u0119 w \u201eOne Of The Last Derkacz\u201d, gdzie pojawiaj\u0105 si\u0119 obok d\u017awi\u0119k\u00f3w przera\u017aliwych syren i komunikat\u00f3w z megafon\u00f3w.<\/p>\r\n
Podczas gdy niekt\u00f3re utwory osi\u0105gaj\u0105 tempo prestissimo<\/i> z bzycz\u0105cymi akcentami basu i perkusji, \u015bwistem strun gitarowych i powtarzalnymi motywami (vamps<\/i>) instrument\u00f3w d\u0119tych, nie ka\u017cda ekspozycja jest tak energiczna. Na przyk\u0142ad \u201eElephant Song\u201d to \u0142agodna ballada oparta na uderzeniach strun Starkiewicza w tempie adagio<\/i>, przeci\u0105ganych tonach Alessiego, pe\u0142nych wdzi\u0119ku harmoniach Licaka i responsywnych, g\u0142\u0119bokich szarpni\u0119ciach strun Gullotty.<\/p>\r\n
Czy to na dobrze znanym sobie terytorium, czy te\u017c na przeci\u0119ciu dr\u00f3g z nowymi partnerami scenicznymi, panowanie Alessiego nad instrumentem d\u0119tym pokazuje, dlaczego jest on jednym z najbardziej zapracowanych tr\u0119baczy na nowojorskiej scenie. Jego wsp\u00f3\u0142pracownicy na obu tych kr\u0105\u017ckach r\u00f3wnie\u017c nie ust\u0119puj\u0105 mu kroku jako improwizatorzy.<\/p>\r\n
\u2013 Ken Waxman<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Virtuosic and inventive New York trumpeter Ralph Alessi has worked with everyone from Uri Caine to Michael Formanek as well his own bands. As the century progresses he\u2019s also become 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