Baczkowski, Steve / Corsano, Chris / Nace, Bill – “stolen car” – [Golden Lab Records]

Thurston Hunger   9/22/2015   12-inch, Jazz

Title track is a side long impressionistic
improvisational powerhouse. Like a stolen car, it’s
got rushes of excitement, elements of risk, it
moves a little fast and out of control at times,
but there is a kind of focused center to it.
Corsano drums’s are just a wonder to chase through
the sax and guitar traffic. Nace’s guitar often
adds an atmosphere that makes Baczkowski’s tenor
shine all the more. “Keep From Freezing” is a
prime example of Nace’s subtle strength while the
Bacz sax is building a fire in its bell. That
one fades in fog. “The Ringer” starts with a
sax spree and then firing line drums from Corsano,
it’s not a game, it’s a race. And yet, I, the
mere listener, wind up out of breath. Definite
Borbetomajesty on that one. The trio wrap up by
rolling the “Closing Credits” a shimmer ghost
of a piece, the “Stolen Car” of the title/first
piece drives off a cliff and suspends in air for
what feels like a mini ebow’d infinity, the car
horn a lonely high drone, that splits into notes
as it lands, sounding like a primitive taps
howled in metal. It ends with the radiator
cracked and whistling sax, and Nace’s guitar
dialing in a dying car radio. Screw the seat belt
on this one, hop in and let’s go for another spin.
-Thurston Hunger