Though their first collaborative full album, saxophonist James Brandon Lewis teased us in 2023 when he teamed with the erstwhile trio with punk roots, , on the last track, “Fear Not,” on his rock/punk-infused trio 2023 Eye of the I. That followed an invitation to sit in with the trio at NYC’s 2019 Winter Jazzfest. So, on the heels of those successful collaborations, we welcome The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, who in jazz circles has assumed the acronym ‘JBL.’ Yet, the primary billing here goes to the trio formed in 2016, comprised of the rhythm section from the renowned DC punk band Fugazi, with Joe Lally on bass and Brendan Canty on drums along with experimental and jazz guitarist Anthony Pirog. The four laid down these sessions in just two days in Maryland and have a busy tour scheduled for the Spring including a set at Knoxville’s Big Ears Festival on March 23rd (Stay tuned for our review here).
JBL has not only become revered in recent years but is building a reputation as restlessly prolific as well. In addition to Eye of the I, a rock/punk-infused trio album in 2023, he also recorded the acclaimed For Mahalia, With Love with his Red Lily Quintet. This makes two albums already released in 2024 as in the past month he released Transfiguration with new quartet on the Intakt label. The Messthetics have recorded two albums but this the first for both parties on the renowned Impulse! label, “the one that Trane built.”
Already two singles have been issued, “Emergence” and “That Thang,” both with accompanying videos, both created by bassist Canty. On the former, the churning pulse from the Fugazi rhythm tandem are rooted in D.C.’s go-go strains, a turbulent undercurrent for both Lewis and Pirog to freely express themselves in a rousing, head-banging way. That backbeat becomes even fiercer in “That Thang” with Pirog especially the locomotive threatening to go off the rails. Yet, the hook is the repetitive vamp with Pirog and JBL playing in unison.
Mercifully, the sonics do vary though. Pirog sounds almost Frisell-like in his lines in “Three Sisters,” with JBL owning a stately, ballad melody, the harmonics blending more mysteriously and intensely in the second section, as if one finishes the other’s sentences. Standout “Bootly” is an even better example, with Canty taking to brushes behind Pirog’s chords and JBL blowing sustained phrases. The ringing, chiming beauty of Pirog’s guitar weaves the saxophonist as they form a gorgeous palette, again building to sonic crescendo at the five-minute mark, carrying it to an explosive level, only to exit quietly. “Railroad Tracks Home” has a lilting melody and an infectious skip along riff, with brimming, but more controlled solos from the two lead voices.
“The Time Is the Place” serves up funk with bass-drum trio with JBL shrieking and Pirog firing off sparks with receding stretches that bring the rhythm section front and center. Leadoff track “L’Orso” is another with sturdy rhythms as initially Pirog and JBL are in a call-and-response mode but as it evolves the guitar embraces fierce rock that inspires the saxophonist’s start-stop clusters over Lally’s robust bass line. Closer “Fourth Wall” thrums and boils with Pirog and JBL flying unbounded over the booming rhythmic bed.
This collaboration revels at the intersection of free improvisation and the spirit of punk-infused rock n’ roll but together with the glorious headbanging vibe, the album succeeds even more so by the shifting sonics that give way to melodies and infectious hooks.
