Ravish
Momin's Trio Tarana
Climbing the Banyan Tree (2004) |
Five years into the 21st century, it's
becoming increasingly apparent that the old definitions of jazz
and improvised music are relaxing. Besides the many artists in other
countries who are adding their own cultural references to the sounds,
there are players such as the members of the Tarana trio, children
or grandchildren of recent immigrants, who mingle their own cultural
references with the African-American basis of jazz.
Take the band's name for instance. Not a misspelling of the capital
of Albania (Tirana) or the local mispronunciation of the name of
the largest city in Canada (Toronto), tarana is actually an Indian
vocal style based upon the use of meaningless syllables in a very
fast rendition. Although band leader, percussionist Ravish Momin,
exhibits the style only once, on "String Drum Tarana" - albeit briefly
at that - it's an indication of his roots and world view.
Someone who has garnered acclaim for his drumming with the bands
of saxophonists Kalaparush Maurice McIntyre and Sabir Mateen, Momin,
who attended Carnegie Mellon University, studied drum set with Andrew
Cyrille, Bob Moses and other jazzers as well as ethnic percussion
with teachers who were disciples of Zakir Hussain, and Pandit Taranth
Rao. His associates have just as varied backgrounds. Shanir Ezra
Blumenkranz, who plays bass and oud, studied music in Israel as
well as the United States and has played with Mateen and recorded
with New York multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter. Veteran of this
band, violinist Jason Kao Hwang has been involved with cross-cultural
melding for decades. He was part of the improv Far East Side Band
whose members played traditional Asian instruments. At the same
time he's long been immersed in Free Jazz having been part of groups
led by bassist William Parker and tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman
Each influence modifies Hwang's contributions here. At points, for
example, he spins out taut, ululating lines that could come from
a Chinese erhu, at others takes on the timbres of a three-string
kamantche or Iranian fiddle. Elsewhere his glissandi on violin can
be as swingingly sweet as Stéphane Grappelli's or as sweepingly
expansive - with triple stopping -- as Billy Bang's.
A four square bassist whose thumping walking helps define the rhythm
of these nine tracks, Blumenkranz's accompaniment can be as focused
and unyielding as Jimmy Garrison's with the Coltrane Quartet or
be filled with atonal splintered cadences when he solos. Adapting
finger picking, claw-hammer downstrokes and slurred fingering to
five-string oud techniques, his expression is traditional at times,
but just as likely to be Eurasian or pure American jazz elsewhere.
With Hwang's stinging playing often harsh and echoing, there are
times when ascribing certain tones to one stringed instrument is
difficult. It could be the sound of a string band playing on the
Mongolian plain.
Momin adds to the amiable mystification on "String Drum Tarana"
when his tarana vocalization and Indian clave pattern is succeeded
by what sounds like lute strums which join with scraping squeaks
from percussion.
In contrast, a tune such as "Gathering Song" finds him switching
from tabla-like polyrhythms at the beginning to clave-focused Latinesque
beat with hands and sticks later on. Hwang's sweet elaboration of
the melody arises with erhu timbres, builds up to willowing tones
and triple stopping. Climaxing in a combination of descending and
ascending texture intensification from all three, the composition
maintains the convention of Western jazz as Hwang reprises the head
for the finale.
As pitches and tempos vary here, the percussionist's trick bag includes
supple, hand beats from double-headed drums, amplified with rattles,
so that Momin could be playing zarb or dumbek. His polyrhythms can
be as intensive and percussive as Elvin Jones' with Trane, or he
can produce paradiddles as unyielding as anything in marital music,
but used to make a point.
Need more convincing? "Peace for Kabul", the sentiments of which
could probably be extended to other spots in the Middle East, follows
the theme-elaboration-theme Western convention, yet in-between that
oud and hand drums seems to elaborate a traditional Arab line, except
for the points where there's an undercurrent of Eastern European
Jewish music apparent.
©Ken Waxman - JazzWeekly
A beautiful array of unfamiliar timbres,
via found and invented instruments a la Harry Partch, accompany
composer Jason Kao Hwang's violin in "Flight of Whispers", music
that manages to resemble both the ceremonial and dance traditions
of Court ensembles from China and the syncopated feel of jazz...
Strong, evocative, engaging music. ©Art Lange
- FANFARE
Jason Kao Hwang's microtonal "Flight of Whispers" should delight
Harry Partch devotees. ©THE WIRE
...what's striking about Mr. Hwang's music, a stirring blend of
Stephane Grapelli's violin improvisations and Morton Feldman's microtonal
compositions, is that it makes traditional instruments sound contemporary.
©THE NEW YORK TIMES
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