Triple Double

Triple Double by Tomas Fujiwara.
Bandcamp Link: Triple Double
Two Drummers, Tomas Fujiwara and Gerald Cleaver; Two Guitarists, Mary Halvorson and Brandon Seabrook; Two Brass, Taylor Ho Bynum and Ralph Alessi. Triple Double.

I wasn’t sure where this album would fall. Most of these musicians have spent some time with Anthony Braxton and many have made some pretty “abstract” music on their own.

However, while it is driving and has some dramatic passages, this is a fairly accessible album, utilizing conventional harmonic and rhythmic structures. Though the lack of keyboards and bass does allow the melodic instruments, (including the guitarists here, as both of them stick to lines rather than chords,) to float over the propulsive rhythms and express themselves in various configurations, duo and solo.

I especially enjoyed “For Alan”, in which Fujiwara incorporates some recordings of someone explaining improvisation to a child.

#TodaysCommuteSoundtrack #TomasFujiwara #GeraldCleaver #MaryHalvorson #BrandonSeabrook #TaylorHoBynum #RalphAlessi #TripleDouble