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Guitar Week: Four or More, freejazzblog.org
It's really a treat for me when I keep getting handed music by the Free Jazz Blog gang that I know nothing about beforehand yet blows my mind. Guitarist Ken Aldcroft's work with his Convergence Ensemble and Threads is completely original and invigorating. “Tangent” by the Convergence Ensemble is a fitting tribute to sax/flute great Eric Dolphy. Seven songs influenced by Mr. Dolphy's career work, are broken up into sections and make for a strong hour of music sympathetically played by a crack group of musicians. The interplay is fantastic, playful and beautifully arranged. The recording is warm and full and great care was obviously taken. Each player is given plenty of room to expound on the composed basic themes and even the improvised portions sound so tight you'd think they were worked out carefully beforehand (which I was assured by Mr. Aldcroft they weren't). After three listens through the entire record I still wasn't bored. Really great stuff and very inspiring. Mr. Dolphy would be proud. 4/5 stars |