Morenica

From Jazziz
Like many fringe musicians, keyboardist Anthony Coleman plays in numerous and odd settings, so it's always great to be reminded of how impressively he addresses straight jazz. Wait, better make that curvy jazz. Sephardic Tinge is adept at making its music bend, veer, and twist in a number of provocative ways. Although Greg Cohen and Joey Baron initially supported Coleman's maneuvers with aplomb, this current rhythm section of bassist Ben Street and drummer Michael Sarin creates a deep simpatico that's a notch above the original trio's 1995 Tzadik debut. Sporting an assured sense of flux at every turn, Morenica is one of the better records of 1998.

What's instantly obvious is how spry this unit is. Whether romping through Herbie Nichols' "Terpsichore" or obliquely (and beautifully) referencing the Caribbean vibe of Jelly Roll Morton's "Bunny Bolden's Blues," the trio's moves are mercuric. Even traditional Jewish ruminations such as "Addio Querida" operate on the premise that impulse is king. Like Fred Hersch's trio, Sephardic Tinge is expert at zipping around without seeming frivolous. That achievement is the product of all three voices, but it's probably worthwhile mentioning that Sarin has become a master of the small move. Peppering the pianist's string of adroitly arranged and devilishly agitated licks on "He Would Be Turning in His Grave," Sarin shines.

Brilliantly sequenced, Morenica churns with singular images: Agitated moments leap into soothing invocations, stomps find themselves breaking bread with grooves. Flow is everything here, and Coleman's impressive vision surges adamantly.

Morenica,Sephardic Tinge,Tzadik,Avant-Garde Jazz,Jazz,Jazz Music,Jewish Music,Pop,Post-Bop

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