E.E.R.
Marty Ehrlich/Peter Erskine/Michael Formanek, Relativity (61:46)
Enja ENJ-9341 2, 1999
Enja Records
P.O. Box 19 03 33
D-80603 Munich, Germany
Cyberhome: www.enjarecords.com
The names alone recommend this CD. Multi-woodwind maven Marty Ehrlich
has long been a fixture of New York's downtown avant-garde circle.
Peter Erskine was a superstar fusion drummer in the 70s and 80s and
remains a very important jazz voice, steadily developing his
capabilities as a straightahead/free player and composer. Michael
Formanek, a quiet presence on the straightahead scene for many years,
is becoming increasingly known as a top-flight player and leader.
This heavy-hitting trio is known as Relativity, and its debut
release is alternately meditative and explosive. The idiom is free
jazz, but the program is exceptionally varied and well-paced,
demonstrating that a wide variety of feels and moods can fall under
the "free" umbrella. Formanek's "Incident at Harpham Flat" opens the
disc with a hip melodic figure doubled by bass and sax which takes
flight as a steadily rolling, groove-based improvisation. Erskine's
"Eloi Lament" begins with hypnotic rhythmic counterpoint and eases
into medium swing, reminding me of Dave Holland's late 80s work with
Steve Coleman and Jack DeJohnette.
"Lucky Life" by Ehrlich and "Relativo" by Erskine both hint
at calypso, but the former is an extended exploration while the
latter is a short-and-sweet melodic snapshot. Solid swing tempos
prevail on Ehrlich's "The Pivot" and Formanek's "Holy Waters," both
of which feature the strongest bass solos on the record. "Round the
Four Corners" and "Jiggle the Handle," by Ehrlich and Formanek
respectively, illustrate the trio's mellower side, although
Formanek's tune gets into some free tenor screaming once the
laid-back 5/4 melody is stated.
"Taglioni," by the late Don Grolnick, was played by a larger
ensemble on Grolnick's Weaver of Dreams (Blue Note, 1989).
Relativity's version is an elongated yet stripped-down reading of the
rubato melody, giving the composition a striking clarity and
elegance. And closing the album is Formanek's beautiful "In A Child's
Eyes," the main groove of which is built around a bar of three and a
bar of five. The resulting count of eight gives the ear a fleeting
illusion of 4/4 time despite the odd meter.
Ehrlich, Erskine, and Formanek each bring a different
compositional voice to the session, but they manage to tie it all
together with compelling and compatible instrumental approaches. It's
a satisfying brew.
~David R. Adler, 12/28/99
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