Steve Swallow / Ohad Talmor Sextet - L'histoire du Clochard

[Tanager]

Steve Swallow/Ohad Talmor Sextet
L'histoire du Clochard
2004, Palmetto Records

Personnel:

Steve Swallow - Bass
Ohad Talmor - Tenor Saxophone
Russ Johnson - Trumpet
Meg Okura - Violin
Greg Tardy - Clarinet
Jacob Garchik - Trombone

Track listing:

Making Ends Meet
Sweeping Up
Chelsea Bells
Some Echoes
Ladies in Mercedes
Hullo Bolinas
I'm Your Pal

I've listened to this disk through twice, and it's a lovely, if at times perhaps overly restrained, excursion through Talmor's intricate arrangements of a set of Swallow compositions for a somewhat unconventional sextet. The opening track, "Making Ends Meet," features some wah-wah trombone and violin interplay that has a decidedly New Orleans-cum-Hot Club of Paris oldtimey vibe, and that's something that recurs in places throughout the disk. The intertwining lines of the various instruments (note there is neither a piano nor a drums chair) make for rewarding repeat listens as the music opens up. Swallow, perhaps the most guitaristic (without ever being indulgent in the way electric bassists can be) of jazz bassists, is often freed from any "bass" duties by the presence of the trombone - for example, on "Ladies in Mercedes," Garchik holds down the bottom while Swallow lays in some very guitaristic chordal comping. It's an interesting reversal of roles, and it works nicely. Talmor's voice on tenor is quite melodic and sometimes plaintive (as in some of his solo on "Sweeping Up"), and I found myself wanting to check out his work with The Other Quartet (which has two releases on Knitting Factory, neither of which I've heard). On my first listen, I found myself feeling a little constrained by the highly orchestrated nature of some passages - I wanted things to open up and heat up more. I still do, to some extent, when I listen to the disk, but even just a second listening has brought me more pleasure from this very lovely disk, one which is an interesting contrast to Swallow's release as a leader of last year (Damaged in Transit) or his burning work on Scofield's recent EnRoute). If you're looking for a burning groove session, you won't find it here - as I said, I found myself wanting a bit more variety in tempo in places, as the proceedings border on the overly staid now and then. But if you're willing to listen patiently and enjoy a fairly unique approach to Swallow's ouvre, I think this disk is well worth a listen.

[Pete C]

Talmor is an interesting guy. I didn't love the French Impressionist project with Konitz & string quartet, but it was interesting nonetheless, and I like M.O.B. trio very much (I saw both groups live). This one sounds interesting.

[Mike Schwartz]

You can hear [probably about] 6 tracks from this CD, and a conversation with Mr. Swallow and I this coming Sunday 09/12 on KSJS 90.5FM Bay Area and www.ksjs.org 9AM Pacific/12Noon Eastrn

[Tanager]

Originally Posted by Mike Schwartz

You can hear [probably about] 6 tracks from this CD, and a conversation with Mr. Swallow and I this coming Sunday 09/12 on KSJS 90.5FM Bay Area ans www.ksjs.org 9AM Pacific/12Noon Eastrn

Only 7 tracks on the disk, what're you leaving out?

[Tanager]

Originally Posted by Pete C

Talmor is an interesting guy. I didn't love the French Impressionist project with Konitz & string quartet, but it was interesting nonetheless, and I like M.O.B. trio very much (I saw both groups live). This one sounds interesting.

Pete, this was my first intro to Talmor - I liked his playing and arrangements (sometimes very much so), and I'd be curious to hear more of his work.

[Mike Schwartz]

That will unfold on Sunday, given how much interview and how many tacks will fit into the final hour of the weekly radio/webcast

6 tracks is a guess by experience, I would think 5 for sure...

[Tanager]

Originally Posted by Mike Schwartz

That will unfold on Sunday, given how much interview and how many tacks will fit into the final hour of the weekly radio/webcast

6 tracks is a guess by experience, I would think 5 for sure...

I know - I was just giving you shit.

[Mike Schwartz]

Talmor and trumpeter Russ Johnson both members of "The Other Quartet" which puts into focus the experience in reworking compositions going between notated and improvised passages, and also, the way I hear it, a kind of modern chamber music sound.

I haven't heard the Other Quartet, but from a couple of things I've read, have done 2 discs which include variations on Stavinsky,Bruckner, Carter, and original titles.