SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2020

Tim Niland  - Jazzblogspot

 

Second Sight - Tiger Tracks (Sunjump Records, 2020)

 

Second Sight was an excellent modern jazz band consisting of Dave Douglas on trumpet, Jeff Marx on tenor and soprano saxophone, John Esposito on piano, Allen Murphy on bass, Jeff Siegel on drums and Frederick Berryhill on percussion. This album was recorded in 1987 when the group was performing live regularly but were let down by management leaving the record to languish until now. The music opens with "Arrival," which is a brief interlude of cool percussion sounds developing an African groove. "Dai Yat Lo"  comes out fast with a hard swinging post bop head sounding urgent, with cooking piano, bass and drums and featuring a robust tenor saxophone solo to boot. There is room for spacious trumpet with brushes and elastic bass, keeping spirits high. Rising tones in theme of "Fu Jow Pai '' form a majestic theme followed by the full band developing a boiling pace, with crashing drums and tenor saxophone soloing amid thick bass. Douglas adds raw trumpet accents, slow and probing, becoming brisk and punchy with crisp group support. Heavy drums anchor the rhythm section, allowing everyone to stretch out, then heading back to the blustery theme. "Harlequin's Child" has a quieter medium tempo full group opening theme, developing a ballad sensibility, with descending bass and long trumpet tones, aided by graceful piano and dancing cymbals. Strong bounding piano alongside cool bass and drums are key to "Point Transit" with grand reeds pushing forward strongly, and a rippling a muscular trumpet solo sounding very impressive, playing at length making this a real keeper, adding a lengthy structured sax solo with some trumpet support that is very exciting, a sweet treat for all concerned. "Pressure Makes Diamonds"  features appropriately slamming drums and percussion, complex rhythm horns arcing overhead adding a deep raw tenor solo delving fast and loose among the thicket of percussion building a scorcher of a feature out of it. Douglas's trumpet builds an equally strong solo with the drum set driving fiercely. "Harlequin's Child Alternate Take" shows the group at a mid tempo, patiently stating the theme, as thoughtful trumpet playing evolves with fine bass support, followed by a graceful saxophone solo which weaves around the anchoring bass. Using a fast post bop theme that swings hard, "Dai Yat Lo Alternate Take" releases a strong ripe tenor saxophone to solo over  an urgent rhythm section for a fast paced run. The trumpet builds solo gradually, to a rippling fast segment, then back to a strong theme for the end. Many of the compositions on the album display Esposito's interest in martial arts, and it comes through in the music, which is angular and athletic, and clearly made by a band that was deeply in tune with one another, and the results are very impressive.

 

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Second Sight: Tiger Tracks (Sunjump 018; USA)

Featuring Dave Douglas on trumpet, Jeff Marx on tenor & soprano sax, John Esposito on piano, Allen Murphy on bass, Jeff Siegel on drums and Frederick Berryhill on percussion. This is the second unreleased record from Second Sight, recorded in 1987 in a studio in Woodstock and unreleased until recently.

 

The leader was/is the pianist John Esposito, who I first heard with drum wizard Franklin Kiermyer and was featured on four great albums from the nineties. Mr. Esposito is the main composer here although all of the members of the sextet contribute to the great group sound. Aside from Mr. Esposito, the other member who went on to some well-deserved fame is trumpet great Dave Douglas. Beginning in 1993, Mr. Douglas, was a frontline member of John Zorn’s original Masada Quartet, as well as leading a series of his own bands, too many to name here. The only member of this sextet whom I had heard of afterwards is their drummer Jeff Siegel, who worked with Arthur Rhames (another legendary figure) and Michael Jefry Stevens.

 

This disc starts off with “Arrival”, a lovely, African sounding percussion piece played on what sounds like a balafon. “Dai Yat Lo”, kicks things off with some explosive horn section soaring on top of a burning McCoy Tyner-like rhythm team. The first solo by tenor man, Jeff Marx, erupts intensely and is most impressive. Dave Douglas, who was in the early

 

days of his long career, is already a wonderful trumpet player, that first solo a perfect example of using every note to tell a great short story, making every note count.

 

It is Mr. Esposito’s mature, thoughtful writing that works well throughout. “Fu Jow Pai” features more great ensemble arranging and playing. There are records, like Stanley Cowell’s ‘Brilliant Circles’ (rec 1969), which are under-recognized jazz masterworks, that come along all too rarely. This disc sounds like a long lost masterwork and all six members are integral to its amazing, righteous, energized perfect modern jazz unit. The last section of this piece reminds me of Miles’ great sixties quintet (w/ Wayne, Herbie, Ron & Tony), no small feat.

 

It is unfortunate that this disc wasn’t released soon after it was recorded and promoted right and hence being played on WBGO for the mass (or small body) of jazz listeners.

Perhaps it might’ve been a hit. Wishful thinking… Tenor saxist, Jeff Marx, pulls off a spirited Trane-like solo on “Point Transit”, which also has more exciting ensemble playing. Dave Douglas stretches out on “Pressure Makes Diamonds” and takes an incredible solo! An early instance of his brilliance way before he was in the hotseat playing next to John Zorn in Masada, playing incredibly difficult ensemble work, lightning fast interaction and getting the wink from Mr. Zorn, after Zorn takes a particularly ridiculous solo & smiles at DD.

This disc also features three alternate takes (24 minutes), which are also well worth checking out. Maybe those smart cats over at Jazzwise magazine will pay attention to this little known classic! Stranger things have happened.

Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

 

 

 

 

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