Cadence Reviews MATT LAVELLE’S 12 HOUSES – SOLIDARITY
MATT LAVELLE’S 12 HOUSES,
SOLIDARITY,
UNSEEN RAIN 9945
“Solidarity” has a massive singsong sound that serves as the backdrop to a furious tenor solo by Ras Moshe Burnett and a keening cello and flute duet. “Brooklyn Mountain” starts out as a slow, writhing mass before Burnett and pianist Chris Forbes
break out for a wriggling excursion into Cecil Taylor country. “Knee Braces” has a warmer, more low-key swarming sound allowing Laura Ortman space for a searing violin feature and “Cherry Swing” gets a nice funky groove underway with the leader’s buzzing cornet and Anais Maviel’s voice out front. “Moonflower Interlude” is a short bassoon solo that leads into the closing “Faith”, a slow and attractive theme that features Maviel leading the band and Forbes crashing piano chords like McCoy Tyner. It eventually turns into a bluesy dance led by piano, banjo and handclaps that could be the soundtrack to Sun Ra’s Arkestra going into one of their high stepping
gospellish promenades. Matt Lavelle’s compositions don’t rely on intricate melody like several other large scale modern bandleaders but his musicians can blow furiously and he can put together attractive spaces for them to do their things. – Jerome Wilson, Cadence
Swing / Moonflower Interlude / Faith.
Lavelle, cnt, flgh, a cl, cond; Lee Odom, ss, cl; Charles
Waters, as, cl;; Ras Moshe Burnett, ss, ts, fl, bells; Tim
Stocker, bari s, b cl; Mary Cherney, fl, pic; Claire de
Brunner, bsn; Chris Forbes, p; Laura Ortman, vln; Gil
Salinger, clo; Anders Nillson, g; Jack DeSalvo, bjo,
mandola; John Pietaro, vib, perc; François Grillot, b; Ryan
Sawyer, d; Anais Maviel, vcl. 11/14, Brooklyn, NY.