Opium – “Opium” – [Creative Improvised Music]

Max Level   4/29/2006   CD, Jazz

Jazz-informed instrumental improvisation on the fine and busy CIMP label. Guitarist Bruce Eisenbeil is listed as leader on this quartet date, but he’d be the first to tell you that Opium is a band and this CD is a collaborative effort. Eisenbeil’s guitar is teamed up with saxes, bass trombone, and percussion. No working things out beforehand; they just walked in, turned the recorder on, and, in Eisenbeil’s words, “the shit clicked”. Some nice dialogs going on, especially between the sax and trombone. Alongside, the guitar and percussion maintain a scattered approach, contributing jagged things where called for. A few loudish sections, but not many. Dynamics stay mostly in the quiet to medium range. A colorful ride.