Studio Dan

Studio Dan brings us this release filled with 45 minutes of music composed by and played with Anthony Coleman. He worked with John Zorn at the beginning of his career, with Marc Ribot, Elliot Sharp and Greg Cohen to name a few. Apart from his work focusing on his Jewish background, he composes on a commission basis as well. The music here has written parts and room for improvisation.

The recording on this release is from a concert in Porgy & Bess, a club in Vienna. The most experimental piece is Orgelstück, featuring a harmonium played by Coleman and something that sounds like a Hammond organ begin mangled by a mad(wo)man. I won’t focus on each piece. Coleman succeeds in creating different timbres that are possible with this ensemble, essentially a big band with strings, surprising timbres and catchy phrases that come and go. Einundzwanzig begins with a few start-stop sequences in classic jazz trio format (drums, bass, piano) after which the whole ensemble joins in the fun. A searing tenor sax solo (blackjack ?) follows, and the ensemble finishes with a collective vamp. Overall a release that merits several spins to hear what’s going on. I bet this was a blast hearing this live at Porgy & Bess.