STEVE SWELL — Estuaries (review)

STEVE SWELL — Estuaries album cover Album · 2013 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
js
There was a time when the term “avant-garde jazz” was synonymous with high decibels boosted by screeching saxophones and scatter shot multiple percussionists. Somewhere along the way, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and others in the AACM scene introduced the radical idea of free improvisation performed quietly, or at varying volumes. This idea of low volume free improvisation is taken to new extremes on Steve Swell’s latest endeavor, “Estuaries”. This CD contains 13 tracks, with ten of them labeled with the titles “Estuary” 1 through 10. The first two “Estuaries” introduce some tasteful pointillist interplay between the three musicians, but starting with “Estuary 3” and continuing for another 20 minutes to “Estuary 7”, the musicians perform at near whisper volumes. The three instrumentalists (Steve Swell-trombone, Andrew Raffo Dewar-soprano sax, Garrison Fewell-guitar) use their instruments to produce sounds not typically associated with their chosen axe. Much of this section sounds like the low buzz and whispered hum of electronic devices at work. All of the players show a lot of discipline and concentration during this interaction.

Things change up at track eight as the next three pieces consist of composed graphs for the players to improvise off of. These tracks are well played and sound like modern concert hall music. I’m reminded of that excellent series of albums that CRI put out in the 60s and 70s that documented many little known composers and their atonal chamber pieces. This sort of small scale avant-garde music is a fascinating miniature world all its own.

This CD closes out with three more “Estuaries” (8-10), although now the “Estuaries” are not as quiet and the musician’s improvisations reflect the nature of the three previous composed pieces. Overall this a very good set of improvised music performed with great taste and careful attention to one’s fellow musicians.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Raw Blues 2 Blues
DOUG MACLEOD
Buy this album from MMA partners
Memphis Blue : Sweet, Strong & Tight Blues
BARBARA BLUE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Nebbia. Salvo, Alarcón, Vogel : Pnkstrasse53 Avant-Garde Jazz
CAMILA NEBBIA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Wunderkammer Jazz Related Improv/Composition
JAN BANG
Buy this album from MMA partners
Moving On Eclectic Fusion
ETERNAL TRIANGLE
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Barbara Blue - Sweet, Strong & Tight
BARBARA BLUE
js· 39 minutes ago
1+1=3
FLORIAN WEISS
js· 2 days ago
Bright Diminishing
HENNING SIEVERTS
js· 2 days ago
Tension
MULATU ASTATKE
js· 3 days ago
NRG 2 -The Future's Ours -Chiminyo + James Mollison, Axel Kaner-Lidstrom, David Mrakpor, Wonky Logic
CHIMINYO
js· 3 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed