i am in no way
qualified to talk about much of anything, much less jazz. i certainly should not be allowed to put a jazz
album on the list. i’d be inclined to say things like songs without lyrics are
too hard for me to understand. and how silent movies and mimes intrigue me endlessly, but i can never figure
them out either. something doesn’t
really need to be figured out to be enjoyed.
michael eaton, a tenor and soprano saxophonist, is a relative newcomer
and his debut album individuation is apparently a play on words for his graduating into becoming his own band leader. he is accompanied by a few other fresh faces, and one
legend. brad whiteley, who also released his debut album earlier this year, is
eaton’s main cohort on piano and “prepared” piano. no idea what a prepared
piano is, but i gather that it uses a certain collection of nails and screws in
the strings.
individuation is basically a four-parter.
section 1 (tracks 1-4) features a good amount of sax and piano interplay. tracks one and three, bring in trumpeter jon crowley,
who provides some beautiful harmonies with eaton. it’s a bit hard to tell who the track guru
refers to because it probably should refer to the world renowned soprano saxophonist
david liebman who comes in on the track alter ego for some interesting sax
exchanges. section 2 (tracks 5-7) are more or less duos.
liebman and eaton trade off sax lines on prickly, and then crowley comes
back once more for some hot trumpet leads on centrifuge. you’re my
mystery is a short eaton showcase backed by whiteley. section 3 is the
title section individuation, five tracks that merge together, eaton
testing himself with whiteley backed by the drum and bass section. individuation 1, 2
and 3, build up a certain sense of urgency, which really takes off on part
4 and part 5, the most excellent parts in which the piano and sax
trade stops. lifecycle
is the album’s highlight, for bringing back liebman and kind summing up the album up with all the band back in one cohesive six-minute track.
all the tracks are particularly tight arrangements, which musically blows
away most of other albums on this list. that’s probably what happens in a world
where musicians have to intern under masters and finally individuate in their
30s. compelling stuff that begs for replays.
you can’t take your mind off the music to stare at the cover photo
either. graphic art without words is an entirely different matter. you’ll get caught up in trying to find out
how many rings are in the tree, or whatever the cover is that starts with an
atomic yin yang, until realizing it’s eleven minutes later and the CD is on part
4, so you have to keep going back to the beginning.
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