VINNY GOLIA QUARTETSFUMATO (2005)
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Coined by Leonardo da Vinci, the term sfumato refers to a blending technique used to create a sense of depth through layering. This has certainly never been a problem for multi-instrumentalist Vinny Golia, as this album demonstrates. For some, the West Coast’s de facto avant-garde scene leader, Golia’s brand of intricate free jazz needs little introduction. This session finds him in the company of like-minded masters once again; 1998’s marvelous Lineage (Nine Winds) featured the same lineup.
With legendary trumpeter Bobby Bradford—former John Carter and Ornette Coleman front-line foil—at his side, Golia sounds as though he’s been reunited with a soulmate. Golia’s multi-instrumentalism places him in direct competition with Anthony Braxton for who plays the most sundry horns. On Sfumato he limits himself to six, from sopranino saxophone to bass clarinet, allowing him a judicious tonal range. Golia’s varied timbre, encompassing a litany of moods from petulant dissonance to moody exotica, forms a rich contrast with Bradford’s wrenching inflection. They accompany each other with sporadic horn hits and subtle riffing, providing harmonic counterpoint as well as competitive inspiration.
Golia’s complex, interlocking structures reveal a composer’s thoroughness for dynamic detail. Constant shifts in tempo and rhythm abound, like rhythmic sonic minefields. Bassist Ken Filiano and drummer Alex Cline are veteran accomplices who know this music inside out, which is exactly how they play it. Filiano and Cline display their dexterity with the lock-step rhythm and zig-zag melody of “All Together Now”. Using metric modulation to vacillate between speeds, they taunt and challenge the horns, which bob and feint in response. Golia’s mutating bass clarinet solo transforms from apocalyptic keening to lyrical blues phrasing and fleet bop runs. Undeterred, Bradford exhibits a magisterial sense of melody with a fragile, but soulful tone.
In an already extensive discography, Sfumato stands out as one of Golia’s most exceptional records, featuring one of his best lineups. Paring down his large ensemble aspirations to focus on the core essentials of his writing, the result is stunning in its immediacy and level of interaction.
With legendary trumpeter Bobby Bradford—former John Carter and Ornette Coleman front-line foil—at his side, Golia sounds as though he’s been reunited with a soulmate. Golia’s multi-instrumentalism places him in direct competition with Anthony Braxton for who plays the most sundry horns. On Sfumato he limits himself to six, from sopranino saxophone to bass clarinet, allowing him a judicious tonal range. Golia’s varied timbre, encompassing a litany of moods from petulant dissonance to moody exotica, forms a rich contrast with Bradford’s wrenching inflection. They accompany each other with sporadic horn hits and subtle riffing, providing harmonic counterpoint as well as competitive inspiration.
Golia’s complex, interlocking structures reveal a composer’s thoroughness for dynamic detail. Constant shifts in tempo and rhythm abound, like rhythmic sonic minefields. Bassist Ken Filiano and drummer Alex Cline are veteran accomplices who know this music inside out, which is exactly how they play it. Filiano and Cline display their dexterity with the lock-step rhythm and zig-zag melody of “All Together Now”. Using metric modulation to vacillate between speeds, they taunt and challenge the horns, which bob and feint in response. Golia’s mutating bass clarinet solo transforms from apocalyptic keening to lyrical blues phrasing and fleet bop runs. Undeterred, Bradford exhibits a magisterial sense of melody with a fragile, but soulful tone.
In an already extensive discography, Sfumato stands out as one of Golia’s most exceptional records, featuring one of his best lineups. Paring down his large ensemble aspirations to focus on the core essentials of his writing, the result is stunning in its immediacy and level of interaction.
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1. That Was for Albert Phase 3
2. All Together Now
3. CBQ241
4. Monday at Eight, Just Black & White
5. That Was for Albert Phase 5
6. NBT
7. Transition of Power
8. Repitition
9. Small Group Caught in the Reel World
2. All Together Now
3. CBQ241
4. Monday at Eight, Just Black & White
5. That Was for Albert Phase 5
6. NBT
7. Transition of Power
8. Repitition
9. Small Group Caught in the Reel World
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