The latest in Carla Bley's ever-changing array of ensemble configurations, the 4X4 group features Bley on piano, Larry Goldings on organ, Steve Swallow on bass, and Victor Lewis on drums. Add to this core unit a four-horn section: Lew Soloff on trumpet, Wolfgang Puschnig on alto, Andy Sheppard on tenor, and Gary Valente on trombone.
This batch of compositions is informed by Bley's distinctive brand of tongue-in-cheek playfulness, especially on the Latin-rooted "Baseball," which is peppered with the kinds of organ motifs one hears at the ballpark. Also in this semi-comic vein, "Sidewinders in Paradise," a seemingly random juxtaposition of "Stranger in Paradise" and Lee Morgan's "The Sidewinder," chugs along with a retro-funk groove perfectly colored by Goldings's organ. The album ends in a darker mood with "Utviklingssang" (Norwegian for "Development Song.") Two extended pieces form the real backbone of the album, however. "Blues in Twelve Bars/Blues in Twelve Other Bars" is a funky, modulating blues with gospel undertones. Goldings shines on this one, and Lew Soloff captures the mood with a plunger solo. "Les Trois Lagons," the most ambitious track, takes its inspiration from three cut-outs in a book by Henri Matisse. Divided into three movements, the piece begins with a round of bebop soloing, then morphs into a ballad, and concludes with an unusual whole-tone stride section that recalls both Thelonious Monk and Louis Armstrong.
While the entire eight-piece band is consistently a pleasure, some of the album's most appealing moments occur during several Bley/Swallow duet passages. The two have been performing and recording as a duo for many years, so in a certain sense the whole band seems to revolve around them. - David R. Adler
Tracks
1. Blues In 12 Bars / Blues In 12 Other Bars
2. Sidewinders In Paradise
3. Les Trois Lagons (D'apres Henri Matisse)
4. Baseball
5. Utviklingssang
WOLFGANG PUSCHNIG alto saxophone
STEVE SWALLOW bass
VICTOR LEWIS drums
LARRY GOLDING organ
ANDY SHEPPARD tenor saxophone
GARY VALENTE trombone
LEW SOLOFF trumpet
CARLA BLEY piano
All music composed and arranged by Carla Bley
Recorded July at Rainbow Studio, Oslo
WATT - WATT/30 ECM Records - 159 547-2