DeJohnette/Coltrane/Garrison, In Movement (ECM)

[Guy Berger]

ECM has gotten some fantastic recordings out of Jack DeJohnette over the past 10-12 years, so I'm very much looking forward to this one.

 

From Amazon:

Jack DeJohnette (drums, piano, electronic percussion
Ravi Coltrane (tenor, soprano and sopranino saxophones) 
Matthew Garrison (electric bass, electronics)

There is a lot of history concentrated in Jack DeJohnettes adventurous new trio. Fifty years ago, as a guest with John Coltranes group, Jack DeJohnette played with the fathers of Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Garrison, and the program of In Movement opens with Coltranes harrowing and still pertinent elegy Alabama. 

Other covers include the classic Blue In Green by Miles Davis and Bill Evans (Jack is one of the few musicians to have played in the bands of both men) and Serpentine Fire, from the songbook of Earth, Wind and Fire, a tribute to Maurice White - who also collaborated with Jack in the early years. 

The Two Jimmys is an hommage to Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Garrison, innovators both, and Rashied salutes the late Rashied Ali, another great drummer from Coltranes cosmos. 

For all the wealth of references, this is indeed a band in movement, taking the music forward. Ravi Coltrane and Matt Garrison, in their ECM debuts, both respond magnificently to DeJohnettes driving drumming, Ravi with superb solos, Garrison with lean bass lines and imaginative looping electronics. 

Jack DeJohnette: We are connected at a very high and extremely personal level that I believe comes through in the music.

In Movement was recorded at New Yorks Avatar Studios in October 2015, and produced by Manfred Eicher.

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[kh1958]

I'm looking forward (hopefully) to seeing this group April 23 at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

[CJ Shearn]

Looking forward to this as well.

[Guy Berger]

What do folks think of this?  Like a lot of ECM studio recordings it is much more atmospheric & less hard-hitting than the group sounds live.  But it wasn't as sleepy as a many other ECM recordings and I enjoyed it a lot.

[mjazzg]

I found the initial impact was strong. The choice of material was interesting and I was very pleased that both "Alabama" and "Blue and Green" were approached somewhat tangentially and not just run through. As a big fan of the original "Serpentine Fire"  I thought this version was just great and as unlike EWF as could be but still paying tribute. I liked the "atmospheric" nature (but then I'm a big ECM fan) but I tend to prefer that to straight ahead run throughs. I also thought that Garrison's use of electronics works well. I've not paid a lot of attention to Coltrane but I like what I hear on this.

Having said that I haven't revisited it too much - there's a feeling that it has quickly revealed its secrets and I know what I'm going to get - but of course that's just me. I need to listen to it again, soon

[kh1958]

In person, I really liked Matt Garrison's playing. Some reservations about Ravi Coltrane still, but this is definitely the best playing from him that I have heard. Their live version of the Two Jimmys, much longer than on the record, was quite stirring.