A recurring topic in some jazz mainstream press these days involves the proliferation of
independent labels and their potential to dull the music’s quality with mediocrity. Somewhere in the
argument lurks trust in infallible A&R departments with unlimited resources. Sony’s not done signing
people yet, but until they get around to Chris Greco, be happy he runs his own label. Pleiadian
Call finds the multi-reed musician in good company with Chris Colangelo on bass and Kendall
Kay on drums and percussion.
Greco wrote the nine compositions with serial and bitonal applications, yet he resorts to very
little dissonance. He seems to have a love affair going with his instruments. He troubles to shape
tones and keep the upper register sweet. Some players shoot darts up high; Greco blows pearls.
Greco plays clarinet on “The Open Door,” which opens with Colangelo walking the bass and
Kay swinging the cymbals. A sudden drop features Greco’s impressionist side, his humid tone
occupying the sparse melody. In a shift, the rhythm section returns to the smoky basement and
Greco goes free. Toned cymbals and the tenor sax’s toneless keys played in runs opens the title
track. Greco takes off on tenor song, made dramatic by Kay’s smart entrances and exits. A surprise
minimal multitracked flute/clarinet arrangement splashes color on Greco’s diverse extended solo.
Greco swings, plays blues, plays out, plays extended, easily changing mood and tempo.
“Yvette” yields the kind of perfumed elegance you’d expect from its name. Opening with a sultry
flute and clarinet duet, plus melodic playing by Colangelo, the tune becomes a tour de force for
Greco’s flute with a solid rhythm section support. Colangelo plucks a meaty solo with impressionistic
percussion by Kay. “Rains and Prayers” begins with Greco on tenor and Colangelo in unison with
Kay on percussion. Colangelo jumps on an activating bass line and Greco runs with it. “Innocence”
employs a nonchalant theme, but goes through tempo changes with the leader on alto.
“The Flight of a Bird Leaves No Trace” won a Julius Hemphill Award for composition and again
features Greco’s flute. The mini-suite features a number of varying sections showing off his
versatility with Colangelo interspersing plucked and bowed passages. “Ask” ambles along with the
leader on alto. Kay dusts off the brushes and Greco makes a run for it. “Messages” gives him a
medium tempo vehicle for tenor, and “Afterthought” uses a flute and soprano arrangement to
introduce an urbane theme for his swinging soprano solo.
For those fearing the Bite of the New, Greco and Co. provide a painless escort into exotic and
unfamiliar territory. For the more seasoned listener, Greco makes driving high speed over twelve
tone roads sound easy.
Website: www.ejn.it/greco
~ Rex Butters
