The Twin Cities' jazz scene is dynamic, to say the least. One of the unsung heroes for years has been bassist Chris Bates. This, his first album as a leader, is on fire. Most exciting, to me, is the polyrhythms that pulse and thrum and bounce through most, but not all tunes. Bates and his brother, JT, lay down complex New Orleans-style grooves that make me want to dance, but the music is so complex I don't want to lose anything in the process. What a pleasant quandary! After a listing of the personnel and link to where you can buy the album, are three poems I wrote in response to my three favorite songs.
Chris Bates—el. & ac. b
JT Bates—d
Chris Thomson—ts & ss
Zack Lozier—tr. & fl.
Brandon Wozniak—as & ts
New Hope on Amazon
Interview with Chris Bates
Dark Matters
elongating bodily into dragging hearts
of gravity
where the pull goes everywhere away
and to the center
somehow
simultaneously
ridiculous answers swirl their insufficient
way about the tearing
and trying of
sinew and muscle
and flesh
as the body rips asunder into space
riddled only with cavities
The Jape
smack dap in the middle
we go separate together
and you slide across the dance
floor in your skirt
then suddenly transform
all zig-zaggy
so that arms become
legs legs arms
and your head an ass
you dance jagged and
angular
a cubist mess up
in real time
as I find myself pulled
into the air
and wearing a kilt
swirling as a dervish
the kilt going above
and high exposing me
to you and all
and your ass become
head laughs at my
misfortune
(a bass goes walking
I find myself
back to you wearing pants
and you in your skirt
and we swing holding
tight because right now
we have been reminded
we are all we have
Maliapolis
off-beat answer
could come
here
there
(watch
out
any
where
& wait the watch
the unison
click &
clack
the tapping out a
jam
& posture
will we lift
launch
land
bumped awry & gone up
downwards
boom the bam
and stammer up
the over
because lift is
lever & lost
is never & pissed
the pocket of
out
in
the side is next to
wallow in waxing
alt
er
na
tives
_____________________________
Chris and I are working on a gallery to celebrate this album that will appear in AlteredScale.com issue 3, out in March. It should come together just great.
No comments:
Post a Comment