snobb
Trumpeter Baikida Carrol, who played with almost every leading American jazz artist from the loft era, released only four studio albums as a leader till now. "Marionettes On A High Wire" is his last one to date.
From the very first seconds, the music represents something almost forgotten nowadays, but perfectly known from the earlier decades of free-bop - blues-rooted well-framed forms of free jazz with lots of tunes and controlled improvisations. Carrol's music is slightly melancholic, with a feelable accent on complex composition. All ten pieces are Baikida's originals, three of them had been written as theatre play soundtracks.
The band is really good, with the brilliant rhythm section of bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Pheeroan akLaff, and the lesser known Adegoke Steve Colson, plus female tenor Erica Lindsay. Sound is groovy, dynamic, but quite relaxed, all of the band obviously enjoys playing together.
This is one good example of an almost lost in a New Millennium branch of free jazz, non-nonsense and accessible, rooted in the best such music tradition, coming from the 70s and 80s.