Territory Band-1

Transatlantic Bridge

Label: Okka Country: USA

"Territory Band is a Ken Vandermark project, utilizing eight musicians and allowing him the opportunity to "spread out" a bit, both in compositional style and in deeper investigations of free improvisations within a larger group. Transatlantic Bridge features four longish compositions (each dedicated to a visual artist), with the first two falling into a more jazz-like group and the latter two edging into riskier areas. "Collage" almost sounds like an Archie Shepp piece from the late '60s, its brief, staccato theme offering the vaguest hints for the subsequent solos, though everyone handles themselves with a boisterous confidence. In "RM," Vandermark aims for a balance between composition and improv, but the result shows just how tricky and elusive this goal can be. Sparse and meandering, the piece never quite creates a convincing sound world, possibly due in part to its reluctance to completely abandon jazz phraseology for a non-idiomatic approach, instead inhabiting an in-between zone where neither case is made convincingly. But he redeems himself entirely with the final two cuts. Possibly stealing a page from the Barry Guy playbook, "Mobile" begins with a lovely, hymn-like theme that dissolves beautifully into breath tones from the astonishing German trumpeter Axel Dörner followed by equally fine percussive washes from Paul Lytton (two musicians imported across the Atlantic on the strength, presumably, of Vandermark's MacArthur grant). The theme gently bobs to the surface throughout, as naturally as a tide, and is integrated seamlessly into the improv -- an impressive performance. "Stabile" takes the reverse tack, though with equal success, beginning with abstract bass and percussion explorations before coalescing into the forceful theme, then led out again into the wilderness by altoist Dave Rempis. Here they delve into free, raging jazz with full force and conviction, the drum tandem and bassist Kent Kessler in outstanding form, the written horn lines behind the explosive soloing solid and imaginative. Transatlantic Bridge is a key document in Vandermark's career and pointed toward an increasingly wide area for this "territory band" to explore."-Brian Olewnick, All Music