Matt Ulery's Loom

[jazzypaul]

my review in the upcoming edition of Chicago Jazz Magazine. I really dig what they're doing. Maybe you will too...

MATT ULERY'S LOOM -- MUSIC BOX BALLERINA (Woolgathering Music)

Thad Franklin -- Trumpet & Flugelhorn

Tim Haldeman -- Tenor Saxophone

Zach Brock -- Violin

Rob Clearfield -- Accordian & Piano

Matt Ulery -- Acoustic Bass

Jon Deitmeyer --Drums

I will start off by stating this: this isn't going to be a review, in the normal sense. This is going to be a gush-fest. A review might be critical in an area or two in order to give the perspective of objectivity. I'm not even going to try. From the moment I put this one in the CD player, it hit me as a close to perfect representation of what jazz can be in 2009.

Of course, it didn't hurt that there's more than a passing resemblance here to another favorite band of mine, Ben Allison's Medicine Wheel. If you've heard that group's "Riding the Nuclear Tiger," you pretty much know what to expect. The arrangements are smart, the players are certainly technically proficient, and they're definitely doing their parts to move jazz into a new century. That said, there's an indie rock aesthetic here that can't be ignored. It crops up in the grooves, it rears it's head in the looseness of the solos and in the shapeshifting of the arrangements. This isn't jazz to be relegated to a dimly lit corner buried underneath a hundred mundane conversations. This is jazz as you expect to hear it while you're jam packed into the Hideout or the Darkroom, packed shoulder to shoulder with other jazz aficionados that know that this band is about to tear the roof off the sucka.

Things definitely get started off on the right note with "Scott Free." A tune with a groove funky enough that it could easily be sampled by a progressive house music dj with a kickin' horn line to boot. What makes things truly intersting though, is how the accordian is used to accent the tenor/trumpet front line. It's as if Ulery went out of his way to ensure that absolutely no stone went unturned in creating just the right texture for these songs, and this only becomes more evident as you listen to more of the disc.

"Kentucky Animal Orchestra" is next on the disc, and it is on this disc that you realize just how fantastic of a rhythm section Ulery and Deitmeyer make here. Deitmeyer knows exactly when to fill up space, and when to leave huge, gaping holes. His playing is ALWAYS tasteful on this disc, and his willingness to take chances is downright inspiring, especially in his interplay with Ulery and Zach Brock.

"Good Morning" was the tune that really threw its hooks in me and made me realize what a HEAVY disc this is. Starting off with a some trumpet/tenor work that reminded me of some of Dave Douglas' 90's work, it's a beautiful tune, full of rhythmic twists and turns that aren't found nearly enough in the jazz world. The blatant lack of a chordal instrument in the first solo chorus is nice, as Haldeman gets all of the space in that he needs to craft a beautiful solo, which only gains more steam as Rob Clearfield's accordian builds in intensity behind him.

"Liguria" puts the spotlight on Rob Clearfield's piano playing. It's gorgeous. The focus is clearly on the rhythm section here, and they do not disappoint.

"Constant" starts off as mellow as "Liguria," but the focus once again turns from standard jazz rhythm section to incredibly creative juggernaut as the intensity builds and builds. This is one of the standout tracks on Music Box Ballerina for sure.

Grazyna Auguscik enters the fray on "Slow and Awake." As with nearly everything she touches, this too is gold. I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume that Ulery wrote this with her in mind. Auguscik has a certain way with a vocal that is beautiful, and this song seemed like it was written to fit those very contours. Whether that's the case or not, while not as intense of a song as some of the stuff to be heard earlier on this disc, it is just as interesting.

"House Logic" is actually a kind of disturbing way to end the CD. The closest comparison I can make here is the scene in the film adaptation of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" when Hunter S. Thompson and his attorney are on an ether trip walking scared out of their minds through a carnival runway. Trying to describe it further would only be an exercise in futility. Suffice it to say that if the description just given interests you, you'll probably like it. If you're left wondering why they didn't just play "Autumn Leaves" instead, you probably won't.

To put it simply, Music Box Ballerina is fantastic. To my ears, THIS is what modern day jazz should be all about. Just like Bird, Diz, Mingus, Trane, Miles and Weather Report did, Ulery and his group are creating new jazz on their terms. And if I remember what my teachers taught me in jazz appreciation class, that is what jazz is all about.

[Guest Bill Barton]

Nice review, Paul! Thanks for sharing it.

This group is among my favorite "discoveries" of 2008. I've been playing this CD on my radio show quite a bit and will continue to do so.

All of the tracks are notable but my personal favorite is "Pink Sea and Wondering Without" (great title too!)

Chicago certainly continues to produce some remarkable "cutting edge" music. This is one hell of a good ensemble.

Edited December 27, 2008 by Bill Barton