No Sunday-brunch jazz, this: Toronto’s Free Music Ensemble plays far-out free jazz with enough energy and controlled chaos to turn the heads of jazz fans and indie-rock kids alike … and it so happens that trumpeter James Duncan and drummer Mike Gennaro played together in indie combo Skewver before finding their present voice in the late-60’s style of Albert Ayler, Ornette Coleman, and especially the final works of John Coltrane. On this three-song cassette, recorded live last November, the Ensemble performs long, expanded versions of tracks that appeared on their 1995 self-titled cassette. James’ jerky, frenetic trumpet blends with alto saxman Kenny Baldwin’s solos over great washes of sound laid down by Mike and vibe/percussionist Mark Hundevad. The band’s regular lineup is joined by veteran free-jazz bassist Juini Booth, whose abstract improvisations add a loose, time-bending quality to the sound – especially on “The Adventures of Sonny”, a long, meandering piece that takes up the B-side of the cassette. Here, the quiet interplay between Juini and an uncredited guitarist shines out – carrying the piece from its energetic post-bop beginning into dissonant soundscapes evocative of the late avant-garde guitarist Sonny Sharrock (aha!) and back into the jazz for a mellow finale. For those who prefer Coltrane to Cannibal Corpse, this is where it is.
Free Music Ensemble featuring Juini Booth / cassette / ?$ / 39 Maher Ave., Toronto, Ont. M6P 1S7