Those who stand up and give the finger to the status quo must be honored. New York saxophonist/flautist Anna Webber does exactly that, with a recording that brags not one, but two bass-less quartets. Third FloorPeople is a collection of 11 original compositions by Webber, employing two quartets—one from Montreal and one from New York City. The structure of the quartets are both drums and guitar, with either alto saxophone (Montreal People) or trumpet (New York People).
Of interest here is the New York People, with the title track turning expectations on their ear. While the introduction is well-behaved, consonant, and down-right provincial, an anxious undercurrent brews, with drummer Fred Kennedy and guitarist Owen Stewart-Robertson threatening to capsize the whole proceeding. The ghost of Shawn Lane emerges from the background of this piece, breaking through like a full-force auditory hallucination. Webber takes no prisoners, bayoneting the wounded as she leaves the field of battle...ditto the rest of the disc. - C. Michael Bailey / allaboutjazz.com
Tracks
01. Third Floor People
02. Awkward
03. Parallelissimo I
04. Glimpses
05. Hymn
06. Stop Rocking
07. Une Myriade
08. Boo Boo Boo Daa
09. Le Pont
10. Parallelissimo II
11. Third Floor People II
ANNA WEBBER tenor saxophone, flute
ERIK HOVE alto saxophone
FRED KENNEDY drums
PHILIPPE MELANSON drums
JEAN-SEBASTIEN WILLIAMS guitar
OWEN STEWART-ROBERTSON guitar
MATT HOLMAN trumpet
Recorded August 2009 at Planet Studios in Montreal.
Nowt Records – NOWT-005
https://annawebber.bandcamp.com