Queen of All Ears

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A welcome return from the Lounge Lizards - yet another aspect of the fervently creative New York scene which is responsible for so many good things in this world. The city's continual reinvention seems to inspire its musicians to keep rubbing up against JAZZ and splintering off entirely new musics. Of course, motion's a big fan of the Lizards and Lizard alumni and associates (see our Arto Lindsay profile fr'instance) and it's great to hear an album of such verve and vibrancy emerge yet again. In fact, it's difficult to fault such vigorous joyous playing within John Lurie's sharp composition; such an intelligent openmindedness which seemingly takes in minimalism, jazz, avant-garde composition, microtonal klezmer-style playing, film scores, improv, even getting fonky (again this diversity perhaps drawn from New York's sense of quotidian chaos and flux). The players are, of course, a fantastic mix of virtuosity and warmth, locking a 9-piece sound together beautifully. In particular, Evan Lurie shines on "The Birds Near Her House", producing bubbling piano improvisations a la Keith Jarrett or early (good) Chick Corea. Perhaps the crowning glory is "Monsters Over Bangkok", featuring Steven Bernstein on trumpet and Jane Scarpantoni on cello, over a varied backing veering between the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Bernard Herrmann, Gil Evans, and, well, the sound of monsters over Bangkok. Other players (all should take a bow) include Lurie (alto & sop sax) Michael Blake (tsax, bs cl), David Tronzo (slide gtr), Erik Sanko (bs), Ben Perowsky (perc) and Calvin Weston (ds). Strange and beautiful music indeed, and one of the albums of the year.