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CD Reviews: Mitch Marcus Quintet
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Posted by: adminon Friday, August 17, 2007 - 02:56 PM |
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The Special - 2007
Reviewed By: Geannine Reid
Mitch Marcus founded the Mitch Marcus Quintet in 1999. The Mitch Marcus Quintet delivers a unique brand of original jazz, taking you through a labyrinth of ever-shifting textures and destinations, comprised of some of the SF Bay Area's finest musicians, a dynamic collective that features the extended compositions of saxophonists Marcus and Sylvain Carton, as well as the rumbling opuses of drummer Ches Smith.
Their latest release The Special out of the gate displays a powerful hard hitting no-nonsense mode of transportation that transports you to a progressive state of mind and an immediate reaction of attentiveness. The Special must be listened to with open ears to catch each intricacy presented within this fabulous collection of masterful compositions.
San Francisco Bay Area saxophonist Mitch Marcus helps steer the way for his ensemble’s progressive 21st century –jazz, laced with attack, dexterity and agility. This release is not for the faint at heart listener. The prevalence of these works consists of powerful dual-sax choruses and rapid-fire guitar unison runs atop driving rhythms. Electric guitarist Michael Abraham brings a particular character to the release. While my first reaction when hearing electric guitar was; is this going to be fusion? That reaction was immediately dismayed. This release is aggressive, but filled with authenticity of hard-hitting be-bop lines placed in a modern fabric. Abraham’s distortion-drenched licks as that modern day edge, which brings Marcus and Carton’s well crafted compositions to the next level.
On “Last Mourning,” a slinky hot vibe is driven by drummer, Ches Smith atop catchy sax lines and a thumping’ groove, again ignited by Marcus and fellow saxophonist Sylvain Carton, the feel is racy and steamy, bassist George Ban-Weiss keeps the journey flowing with in the pocket groove.
“Inditranego” is the short breath before the race begins again. Not to say that it is not without its heated run, the piece takes you through a myriad of colors and textures that grab the attention of your inner listening ear. Right when you think you are headed in one direction the group builds the intensity and verve to a point of frenetic ecstasy with Abrahams crunchy licks, Ban-Weiss’s solid bus driving and Smith’s multi-layered drumming the group creates the right tension and release. It is Marcus and Carton that take your hand and lead you into the next moment. The Special is not an easy listening experience, you have to pay attention or you will miss the pearls inside.
Each cut is its own outing, quite different from the last. The quintet touches on free-bop along with mini big band-esque horn arrangements, combined with a few shades of Mingus this recipe burst’s with flavor. Marcus and Carton display their ability for beauty on “Dave’s Castle” a richly spiced piece that shows The Mitch Marcus Quintet is truly a versatile and full spectrum ensemble.
Overall, this release is one of those surprises you see every once in a while, but wait for with every opening of a new CD, the title of this collection of powerful works is duly named. The unit enjoys residing in the fast lane but with the understanding that they exhibit controlled burn and significant compositional ability. The Special is worth the purchase and the addition to any jazz aficionado’s collection.
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