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| Jeff Cosgrove's History Gets Ahead of The Story Grizzley Music |
My familiarity with the work of the prolific free-jazz
bassist and composer William Parker is admittedly limited. When I heard some of
Parker’s compositions recently assembled and so enthusiastically played by
drummer Jeff Cosgrove and his bandmates, organist John Medeski and saxophonist
Jeff Lederer on his latest cd History Gets Ahead of the Story, I
was both impressed and intrigued. I had to find out more about this bassist who
The Village Voice once claimed as “the most consistently brilliant free jazz
bassist of all time.”
Double bassist William Parker is now sixty-eight years old
and has had a career of many creatively inspired musical endeavors. The double
bassist/composer has recorded over forty albums as a leader and a countless
number of important collaborations with other artists. Parker’s fierce attack and
unfailing pulse, whether using his arco or pizzicato technique, is a constant
source of grounding stability. His exploratory expressiveness and willingness
to promote a collaborative approach keeps his music both fresh and interesting.
Parker studied with such bass luminaries as Richard Davis,
Jimmy Garrison and Wilbur Ware. Over his career, he has contributed his artistry to
the music of pianists Cecil Taylor, Craig Taborn, and Mathew Shipp. He has
worked with the trumpeter Don Cherry and saxophonists Dave S. Ware, Anthony
Braxton and Peter Brotzmann to name a few. Parker created an impressive repertoire
of original music and has penned several books. His artistic breadth is diverse
and inclusive, utilizing crossbreeding aspects of spiritualism, world music, dance,
opera, blues, gospel, soul, jazz, free jazz, and poetry as elements into some of
his inventive musical creations.
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| Jeff Cosgrove (photo credit unknown) |
The apt textualist, Jeff Cosgrove, a generational disciple
of the Paul Motian’s school of percussion, has played with bassist Parker in a contemporary
trio with the pianist Mathew Shipp. Their first album was Alternating
Current from 2014 and the last album from the trio was Near
Disaster from Feb 2019. With this history in mind, it was only fitting
that Cosgrove would choose seven compositions from Parker’s repertoire to both pay
homage to the bassist/composer’s influence and to use these songs as a vehicle
to explore the possibilities. To my delight,
Parker’s music not only provides inspiration to these adventurous musicians, but
the band skillfully manages to somewhat make it their own.
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| Jeff Lederer ( photo credit unknown) |
The group is notably without a bass and the only bottom
anchor here is provided sparingly by Medeski’s left foot on the B3. Song’s like the bluesy opener “O’neals Porch”
seems to be tailored to raise the spirits with Medeski’s probing organ, Lederer’s frolicking saxophone, and Cosgrove’s delicate
percussive pace.
The gospel-inspired “Corn Meal Dance” employs a churchly
sound from Medeski’s organ and a roiling rhythmic treatment from Cosgrove. Lederer,
whose saxophone prowess is a marvel, seems to wail like a possessed preacher
wailing to the heavens from his pulpit.
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| John Medeski ( photo credit unknown) |
"Gospel Flowers” is one of two Lederer compositions on the album. This blues-based song has a memorable, lightly swinging melody. Medeski always seems able to find a way to liberate his B3 playing from expected pathways, often bringing excitement to the musical journey. The music elevates you, as Cosgrove’s subtle and textured accompaniment maintains your altitude. Lederer rides the airways with a strong powerful tone and mellifluous sonority, as he also accents the music with more piercing dissonance that claws back to some of Parker’s free jazz roots.
“Little Bird” is a playful musical spar originally on
William Parker’s Petit Oiseau from 2008, and here features Lederer
on flute, Medeski on keys, and Cosgrove on drums. The music is joyous, invigorating
and a testament to these three gentlemen's ability to create a musical conversation
that just captivates the listener. Cosgrove offers a short solo that demonstrates
his astute percussive inventiveness. There is a Dolphy like feel to Lederer’s
flute work here that seems to be a tip of the hat to the music’s history.
“Ghost,” the only composition
on this album by Cosgrove, creates an otherworld-like mood. Here using a modulating
organ, splashing cymbals, soft toms and a resonant clarinet, the band
creatively conjures up the presence of a looming specter.
Parker’s “Moon” is just a delight. The music is jaunty and
joyful. Lederer plays a soprano lead that grabs you with its prance-like feel
and brash proclamations. Medeski’s organ lightly keeps the rhythmic drive going as Cosgrove lays down a roiling flow of
percussive accents.
“Things Fall Apart” is a free-flowing exchange that has no perceivable
melody and is an improvisational banter between the three musicians.
“Wood Flute Song” comes from Parker’s 2005 album Sound
Unity and Cosgrove open with a short drum introduction. Lederer and
Medeski enter in, one with a muted left-footed bass line and the other with a
robust clarinet. When Medeski takes a
solo on the organ he is accompanied by circular drum work by Cosgrove giving
the music a buoyant and enlivened flow.
Lederer’s gorgeous “Purcell’s Lament” opens with an
impassioned Soprano intro that is accented by Cosgrove’s delicate cymbals and
toms. Medeski’s swelling organ adds to the ballad’s moving feel. The music seems
to bloom in front of you like a flower that opens on an inviting spring
morning. Lederer can evoke spirituality in his playing that reminds me of
some of Pharoah Sander’s work of time past.
The album ends with Parker’s jaunty “Harlem” from his 2005 Sound
Unity. Medeski, Lederer and Cosgrove coordinate brilliantly, tracing each
other’s lines -tenor, organ and drums-like a synchronized swim team’s motion at
an Olympic competition. There is a beauty as to how well these three moves in
each other’s space. The three separate instruments
are handily utilized to operate as one breathing entity, three minds meeting as
one impressive expression of the music. Take the time to hear this work and to enjoy
the inventive music of William Parker.
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