Anthony Davis

Variations in Dream-Time

★★★★

Anthony Davis is a composer and piano player that I have not yet had the pleasure of listening to. And in many ways he carries that jazz tradition of big bands into the modern era, much like the work Anthony Braxton has been doing. Unlike Braxton however, I think Davis has headed towards a route that Mingus had previously traveled during his later years. On albums such as Let My Children Hear Music; not to suggest that he follows that style entirely.

In fact a lot of what I hear is improvisations that make up the meat of this album, held together by the repetitive bones that are the short bursts of lyrical phrasings throughout. There's a lot of piano playing that is reminiscent of someone like Philip Glass, the repetition and speed of the piano is absolutely relentless on here. That first track especially seems all over the place, with improvisations dictating the flowing stream of playing.

The second track seems a lot more structured and to put it plainly: beautiful. Something about the clarinet in jazz, it's always able to pull me deeper into the music. The sound and tone by J.D. Parran is so exotic and melodic, in an almost Middle Eastern fashion. The whole song actually feels like a journey on the Silk Road, through all the riches and glory as well as the death and disease. This negative flow continues until near the end where it all breaks down, with the help of the amazing George Lewis on trombone. 

This whole album is a story within itself, actually like a book that is slightly different each time you read it. But always starts and ends the same, the rest is out of order or completely different in content. It surprises me that Anthony Davis is not more well known, he deserves the recognition. 

Favorite Song: The Enemy of Light