Long considered a tenor titan, three-time Grammy-nominated Donny McCaslin, through his many albums as a leader and sideman, his stint with Steps Ahead, and his regular appearances with Maria Schneider’s Big Band and The Mingus Dynasty Band, and his most famed sting as the musical director for David Bowie’s Blackstar, is now moving into a new, progressive fusion direction as he kicks off his initial album, “I Want More” on Edition Records. McCaslin is always searching for something new to say, so in that regard, the move is not surprising. His intent with this effort, as stated, was to make jazz music that is acceptable to a rock audience. To that end, he recruited producer Dave Fridman (The Flaming Lips) who has never worked in jazz. McCaslin claimed that was key to this new edgy sound, modern and new but also loud and uncompromising; in short, a bit beyond the expected norm.
The mere presence of his long-standing colleagues, the same who were with him for the Bowie date, bassist Tim Lefebrve and synth wiz Jason Lindner give an indication as to where the sound is headed. Progressive drummer and Edition artist and bandleader Mark Guiliana is the drummer. (We covered his latest, Mischief, on these pages). There’s some balance too as violinist Sara Caswell leads a string quartet (Joyce Hammann – violin, Lois Martin – viola, Jody Redhage Ferber – cello) on two tracks. Additional contributions from Chris Bullock on bass flue and Jannek Zechner on keyboards round out the ensemble. McCaslin composed all eight selections either alone or in collaboration with his core quartet members. He plays tenor and flute.
The journey commences with “Stria,” McCaslin blowing a series of repetitive tenor phrases echoed by Lindner before we launch into spacey realms and then back to the disorienting riff, blurred with effects galore. “Fly My Spaceship” points the new direction upward and forward as the title suggests. Call it space jazz if you want but it’s not the kind of John Gilmore of Sun Ra’s band or Coltrane or Pharoah. It’s certainly ‘out there,’ in part reinforced by the myriad of electronic effects but lacks any of the spiritual qualities of the aforementioned. He takes into otherworldly territory in a rather calm way, all thing considered when coupling this tune with “Hold Me Tight” which has the contributions of Bullock and Zechner to help smooth out the layered textures. “Body Blow” extinguishes any sense of calm in the first thirty seconds and continues to stir up a storm of major proportions as the turbulence stays unabated throughout. Again, the whishes and whooshes of the electronics and even McCaslin’s own effects create a cacophonous swarming beehive.
Leave it to Caswell and her string quartet, along with Lindner’s more conventional keyboard work to put us in a floating, easy gliding motion in “Big Screen,” aptly named as the soundscape is indeed cinematically colorful. You can guess through the title that “Turbo,” with its reliance on effects and electronics, leads us back to the kind of maelstrom experienced in “Body Blow” although we do hear the kind of “beast mode” blowing that is McCaslin’s hallmark here, arguably than on any other cut. McCaslin’s low register tones and the machine-like syncopation of Lindner’s keys and Lefebrve’s throbbing bass lead into “Landsdown,” perhaps as good a definition of the new sound for this group. The string section returns, combining with the synths for an ultra-spacey passage that just dissolves, fading into the ether. The title track closes. Unlike the others, it begins with a funky groove but keeps building momentum and elevation, ultimately, we suppose reaching a summit or a new launching point, given the title, for their next endeavor.
Although jolting at first, the music grabs you and won’t let go whether it’s the Lefebvre – Guiliana rhythm tandem’s grooves or McCaslin’s inspired playing, or just this whole refreshingly new sound. Strap yourself in and get lost in this daring soundscape. If this is the future of jazz, we may not yet be prepared, but McCaslin and crew aren’t wasting time with baby steps.
