The vibist is here with free jazz saxophone veteran Paul Dunmall in a set up exploring Dunmall tunes where there’s room for communicative comping from Steven Saunders on electric guitar and who breaks free for proper soloing on ‘I Am Afraid To Speak’.
It’s interesting Northern Irish bassist Dave Kane – who was terrific in Bourne/Davis/Kane – is here. It’s always baffled me that he isn’t better known. He’s good on it but the bass sound isn’t terribly brightly picked up in the mix. Miles Levin on drums provides the necessary multi-directional style, again the mix doesn’t do the drums too much of a favour.
But sonic quibbles aside – always the least significant aspect of a successful record and successful this is – I liked ‘The Doubt Rises in My Mind’ most I suppose because to my ears it enters the tender part of the Coltrane sound that bit more.
This isn’t a freak out cacophonous sort of free jazz record – not that there’s anything wrong with that – but more a ruminative one. And all the better for it. And yet it is edgy in places. Dunmall and co do not soft soap anyone, just to be clear. It’s not “the mellow side of Paul Dunmall” at all.
‘Lest I Should Lose You’ is pretty thrilling and here Dunmall when he explores the altissimo precincts of the upper reaches of his instrument is most Evan Parker-like. The spot at the end on flute and piccolo from Xhosa Cole also works extremely well and there is an air of danger to this track which is stimulating.
Veteran saxophonist Kent born Dunmall, 73, is one of the main avant gardists on the British scene. Not nearly as well known internationally as Evan Parker, nevertheless his own conceptual explorations of territories adjacent to the music of John Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders down the years form a considerable block of achievement.
– Afraid to Speak is new in the marlbank list of top UK jazz issued so far this year. Read the full list, below.
