Drummer, composer, and producer Janek van Laak creates free and flowing jazz that highlights bold vocals and instrumentation. Bandcamp New & Notable Mar 19, 2024
Ingrid Laubrock is developing into a very fine composer these days...
Here she co-opts the services of Tim Berne (one of my Big 5) which takes the music another notch higher for me and also uses a Tuba in place of a bass (not common but it has been done before by both Arthur Blythe and Bill Frisell among others, as I recall)...
Lovely playing with a lyrical edge and lots of detail...but with a fierce, intense quality as well and a fine balance between composition and improvisation.
Tim Berne and Tom Rainey are old sparring partners, so there is some existing 'esp' here...the tuba and trombone are an intriguing combination too; lots of extended technique on display from all involved.
It all fits together perfectly...this is a band full of composers but Laubrock's vision remains constant,I think. John Cratchley