Ho Bynum, Taylor Sextet – “Navigation (Possibility Abstract X & XI)” – [Firehouse 12 Records]

Thurston Hunger   5/6/2015   12-inch, Jazz

Cerebral sweeps, with Taylor Ho Bynum setting up a framework
more than composing per se. Not a game piece, but triggered
work to launch improvistation instances, two records are
two separate incarnations of the same Navigation and online
there are two more takes (all four recorded live over two days
back in Dec 2012). The launch of Tomas Fujiwara’s vibes and
some tight cornet trilling on the first side of the first
rendition gave me a Chi Underground flavor. Mary Halvorson
adds some syncopated spy guitar, joined Ken Filiano for the
most grooving gliding section. Almost as happy as a game
show for some bars. Gets back to the abstract for much of
side B after some tar-pit trombone from Bill Lowe, ends with
Ho Bynum sad and alone after the brain drain and then a
brief New Orleans farewell. X1 launches on side C, with
rising flourishes, flurries follow and Fujiwara is drumming
up a storm, Halvorson with frenetic fingers then get a
switch flick to more mathematical Orthrelm-y realms. It’s
almost rock and roll, more free improv in the pipe then
that three note descender returns chasing itself in a
contemplative (vibes!) mood. Jim Hobbs best section
joins in, nearly braying over the pondering brass
depths. Halvorson gets liquid for a bit on side D,
and the game-show toe-tapper returns for a bit.
Some sprawl clear and we get some bowed Filiano
bass, the playing gets kinda spacy, jazz-droney
and Hobbs emulates a bagpipe for a clippy trip,
really cool, kinda mideastern flair. Watercolor
guitar and cornet sooth till silence. We got a
used record set so no XII and XIII, still plenty
to latch on two, discs A and D hit me the best.
-Thurston Hunger