Nathanson, Roy
Cleanfeed Records, 2016, CD
Instrument: Saxophone
Issue: 22.3
Jazz Ruler Type: Avant Garde
Performance: 3
Sound: 4
Score: 
O’s Notes: Saxophonist and composer Roy Nathanson invites six friends to join him at The Stone in New York during June 2015. Arturo O’ Farrell (p), Marc Ribot (g), Curtis Fowlkes (tb, vocals), Anthony Coleman (p), Myra Milford (p) and Lucy Hollier (tb) are all experienced and adventurous musicians who perform a series of fourteen duets with Nathanson. These guys are angry, sad, romantic and enthusiastic performing at least five loose interpretations of “The Nearness Of You” saving the best for last. The mood swings are in abundance on Nearness And You. The cat and mouse interaction between Nathanson and Curtis Fowlkes on “Indian Club” was intriguing as are most of the duets. We also enjoyed “Ludmilla’s Lament” the sole trio combining Roy, Lucy and Curtis. For best appreciation you’ll need to sit down, relax and listen carefully to capture all of the nuances of this well-recorded session.
Publicist: Kim Smith PR
