The Lina Allemano 4 launched its first album “Contentric” in 2003, however the band’s present musicians haven’t modified since their sophomore album “Pinkey” from 2006. Allemano is on trumpet, Brodie West on alto, Andrew Downing on bass, and Nick Fraser on drums. This unusually lengthy collaboration has clearly been very profitable, as is demonstrated by this album: a band that strikes as one, each of their mutual understanding of the technical features in addition to the soul of the music. 

The primary three tracks stand on their very own, and are adopted by a four-part suite, referred to as “The Plague Diaries“, every beginning with a solo intro, as an instance the loneliness of the musician in the course of the covid disaster. 

The compositional energy of Allemano has elevated over time, and this album is in that sense fairly formidable, but it permits for neatly orchestrated improvisations by 4 musicians who transfer in an out of structured moments in a means that betrays their lengthy collaboration.

 

“Banana Canon” is just structured round a two-tone interval, a humorous spine that permits for tight preparations and joyful and playful improvisations, with clear polyphonic references, because the trumpet and sax play the identical traces with time variations or with variations, alternating readability with full disarray. 

The title track – impressed by a Prokofiev theme – is extra advanced in nature, and extra various in its build-up and growth, and positively extra dramatic. “Dragon Fruit” mixes drama – the somber intro – with playful interplay – the core theme -, creating fascinating contrasts, additionally between composed moments and improvised components, with the surprising silence someplace close to the center permitting for every instrument to create their very own sonic bits, slowly reintegrating again into the composition. 

“The Plage Diaries” begin with a improbable trumpet solo by Allemano, an virtually two-minute second of jubilant exaltation and sorrow on the similar time, demonstrating her phenomenal approach on the instrument. When the remainder of the band joins, the multilayered composition and powerful preparations are the primary issues to leap out. That is an virtually classical composition with a jazz sound, advanced and good, stuffed with variations, and like most different items, comparatively compact. Loads is occurring within the restricted time span of the track, but nonetheless permitting for the sensible distinction between management and freedom. It’s for sure the very best composition on the album. 

“Making an attempt Not To Freak Out” will get a delicate sax solo intro by Brodie West, resulting in probably probably the most emotional piece on the document, pushed by a 5/8 arco bass basis, hit amidships by the band, utterly  altering the temper of the piece, illustrating how regular life was utterly disjointed in the course of the pandemic.

In sum, music of paradoxes, as we prefer it: sensible and sophisticated compositions and preparations permit for robust improvisations and spontaneous interplay between the musicians, leading to music that’s each good and deeply emotional. 

Extremely beneficial!

Watch “Longing“, carried out stay at Metropol Theater, Jazzahead, Bremen Germany, April 30, 2022.