The DKV Trio is made up of Ken Vandermark on saxophones and
clarinets, Kent Kessler on bass and Hamid Drake on drums. They have been
playing together in this configuration since 1997, and over those many years have
built up a nearly telepathic mode of cooperation with one another and their
free improvisations bear this out. In this collection, there are five full sets
recorded live in 2012-1013. The concerts are also assigned different
properties: Austria (Metal), Poland (Earth), Slovenia (Wood) and the United
States (two sets, Fire and Water). I don’t know if these were oblique themes
that the musicians were to follow during each set or whether the labels were
assigned afterwards, but it is interesting to listen to the set with those
things in mind. Regardless of travel headaches, these musicians are willing to
take their music around the world and we are indebted to them for doing so and
spreading their ideas. Each disc is a set of free improvisation, which has breaks
are introduced and markers for listeners to return to a particular position. Each
member of the trio is potent on his own way, with Drake's ever shifting and
evolving web of percussion and Kessler's deep and thick bass tones. Vandermark developing
evanescent melodies in the performance and uses them as springboards for
excellent improvisations on a range of reed instruments. These performances
show how effectively the band uses dynamics, shifting from loud to soft, and
from loud and chaotic free music to open ended abstract passages. Their close listening
is the key, reacting to each other in real time, each musician understanding
when to take the lead, when to drop put and when to support makes the group
become the epitome of a jazz trio, a collective group working together to build
colossal collective improvisations, which are extraordinary to hear. It is
impossible to pick a concert or a particular performance and say that this one
is better than the other since they all are played at a stellar level, and it’s
no mean feat playing at this level of consistency while travelling day in and
day out. This is one of many ensembles that these musicians are involved in,
and it is a very exciting one. Hopefully they will be able to return to this
rewarding format soon, because the band is a powerful force on the music scene
and great ambassadors for music when they take to the road. This is first rate
modern jazz and is highly recommended.
Sound In Motion In Sound - amazon.com
