by Michael Ouchakof and Mike Engle
The Undead Music Festival opened with a bang Wednesday night, with three downtown venues—Le Poisson Rouge, Kenny's Castaways, and Sullivan Hall—hosting marathon lineups of experimental/improv music.
At Kenny's, the well-connected Secret Architecture—composed of Fraser Campbell on saxophone, Julian Smith on bass, Wade Ridenhour on keys, and Zach Mangan on drums—offered up a tight set, featuring a mix of melodic themes, explorations, and deconstructions. Witnessing the inter-connectedness of the quartet provided an excellent start to the night as every piece demonstrated the group's ability to anticipate where each member was headed within the compositions, reflected in how they navigated the themes, derivations, and recoveries. Smith often used his bow on the upright bass to create eerie, harmonic tones augmented by Mangan’s driving and often-equally eerie beats while Campbell and Ridenhour harmonized the top melodic layer of the compositions.
(More pics on the photo page.)
Greg Ward's Phonic Juggernaut, backed by the ultra-tight rhythm section of Joe Sanders (bass) and Damion Reid (drums), wasted no time launching into his own high-energy soundworld. Compositions such as “Above Ground” and “Leanin’ In” showcased the trio’s ability to allow themselves to become the music, rather than to attempt to control or master the structure of each piece. Ward sometimes danced around an implied theme within the context of his explorations on sax, while deep, hard-hitting notes from Sanders (especially when accented by Reid’s beats) reinforced the importance of each note being offered—highlighting the meaning behind the hidden notes present within the unseen reaches of the music.
The free-jazz tribute to Fred Anderson, entitled “Velvet Lounge,” featured washes of beats and rhythms as an expression of Ward's appreciation and admiration for Anderson while providing a fitting close to their set. The slow, emotional unwind leading to the foreshadowed finale of the composition gave a nod to his emotional attachment to the memory and image of Anderson.
Le Poisson Rouge got their evening rolling with a tribute program to Tonic, an old, and evidently once-popular, live music venue in New York City. Keyboardist, vocalist, and former Tonic bartender Heather Greene (with her guitar/bass/drums rhythm section) took to the stage to lead-off the lineup. Her music was a delightful mix of jazz, pop, and rock, working through a varied and exciting set list.
Of further nostalgic and historic significance was the reunion of The Refuseniks Trio. According to drummer John Hollenbeck, this was the group's first gig in nine years—since bassist Reuben Radding left the group and caused the Refuseniks to disband. (Fun fact: After Radding left, Refusenik accordionist Ted Reichman and Hollenbeck formed a quintet, which is still active. They named that group The Claudia Quintet in "honor" of a certain Claudia who saw The Refuseniks live, and was so impressed, that she promised to come to a future concert with all of her friends. That Claudia, however, never came back.) The Refuseniks played as if they never missed a beat, perfectly navigating a sea of complex counterpoint and tonal clusters.
Meanwhile, at Sullivan Hall, tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby showcased his band, Paloma Recio. Playing alongside Malaby was a veritable all-star team of a rhythm section, including longtime colleague Ben Monder on guitar, Drew Gress on bass, and Flin van Hemmen on drums. Whereas any band containing Ben Monder is destined to sound great, Monder truly was sensational with Malaby. Their years of collaboration were evident in their brief appearance, with the two truly playing like kindred spirits.
Following Malaby's group at Sullivan Hall was a quintet led by vibraphonist Chris Dingman. Dingman was commemorating the release of his new album, Waking Dreams, by playing songs from the record—employing alto saxophonist Loren Stillman and pianist Fabian Almazan (who both play on Waking Dreams) on the bandstand, with bassist Ike Sturm and drummer Jared Schonig rounding out the live group. It was an extraordinary ensemble that perfectly suited Dingman's compositions, with Almazan supplying multiple unaccompanied solo piano passages that kept the momentum going. The music was a smash hit among the audience members, which showered Dingman's group with enthusiastic and appreciative applause throughout the night.