Phalanx Ambassadors

Phalanx Ambassadors
Phalanx Ambassadors

Phalanx Ambassadors by Matt Mitchell; Bandcamp Link: Phalanx Ambassadors

I’ve been listening to Phalanx Ambassadors for the better part of 2 weeks and I still feel like I am still uncovering aspects of it with each listen.

Here are my notes:

“Pointillism, Zappa, A-harmonic, Harmelodics”

The ensemble is composed of keyboards, vibraphone, guitar, bass, and drums.

I say Pointillism as the melodic motif (such that there are any) are often divided between instruments, giving a feeling of spray.

It is super rhythmically dense, these players deserve goddamn medals, especially the drummer and bassist, for dividing and subdividing as they do here. Which reminds me a bit of some of Zappa’s work.

A-harmonic, as it feels like the pieces are more multiple melodies snaking through thickets of rhythm than a single melody with related harmonies.

Harmelodics, as Mitchell’s method seems a bit along the lines of some of Ornette Coleman’s ideas.

Which makes it sound a bit difficult.

And it is a lot to take in.

On the other hand, the tunes are not particularly dissonant, in fact the opposite, often quite tonally pleasant.

After a couple days, I started to think about who might enjoy this album most easily.

My conclusion, such as it is, is that probably a person familiar with modern classical music is going to be more likely to easily enjoy this album than a person who is stuck in the classic jazz rut. And maybe even a prog rock fan might be more easily entertained by some of these pieces, than a “Capital J” Jazz fan.

Try and prove me wrong.

#MattMitchell #PhalanxAmbassadors #MilesOkazaki #PatriciaBrennan #KimCass #KateGentile #TodaysCommuteSoundtrack

Phalanx Ambassadors

2017-11-03 Paimon: The Book of the Angels Volume 32

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Paimon: The Book of Angels Volume 32. Mary Halvorson Quartet plays Masada Book Two.

Label Link: Paimon

Oddly, this is a fairly traditional Jazz album by Mary Halvorson, Miles Okazaki, Drew Gress, and Tomas Fujiwara. Two guitars, Bass, and Drums, respectively. For the most part both Halvorson and Okazaki keep their guitar tone fairly dry, limiting digital effects to the odd flourish.

Well, I suppose, “Fairly Traditional Modal Jazz in a Klezmer style”, would be a more accurate way to describe this album.

The impressive thing is the way the two guitarists double each other at intervals, playing the melodies with harmonies, rather than the traditional lead and rhythm guitar type arrangement. A nice bass solo from Gress and some impressive cymbal work from Fujiwara round out the album.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

#TodaysCommuteSoundtrack #MaryHalvorson #Paimon #Tzadik #MaryHalvorsonQuartet #TomasFujiwara #DrewGress #milesokazaki