Live At Smalls
****
Alex Sipiagin
From Reality and Back
*** 1/2
On these two CDs from trumpeter Alex Sipiagin—one
recorded live, the other in the studio—it is not always apparent who is leading
the band. Sipiagin composed everything (except for “Son, Uvedeny Posle,” an
original contribution from guitarist Pat Metheny), but tenor saxophonist Seamus
Blake, who also appears on both discs, brings everything he’s got to the table.
Fortunately, when Blake takes his strident funk to the limit, Sipiagin follows
up with an equally virile statement. The trumpeter and saxophonist are in
constant motion, pursuing separate conversations that coalesce just before
becoming too overwhelming.
Live
At Smalls
takes pride in dancing dangerously close to excess. The five-track set bristles
with an unhinged beauty, propelled by the audience in the tiny Greenwich
Village cave. Drummer Nate Smith barrels along, offering an invigorating whirl
of sticks on “Pass” that pushes the nearly 20-minute work to a rousing
conclusion. Pianist David Kikoski gets a chance to flutter and spin following
the horn solos on “Videlles” with a breathless jaunt across the keyboard.
Bassist Boris Kozlov gets a little buried in all of the excitement.
On From Reality And Back, the most
unreal thing is the lineup. Sipiagin has a dream team of support with drummer
Antonio Sanchez and bassist Dave Holland joined by the pianist and producer
Gonzalo Rubalcaba. It’s more subdued but still actively churning, offering more
variety but never reaching the ecstatic highs of the live bout.
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