by JOHN MURPH
Trying to scale down the music of Henry Threadgill's early-'90s Very Very Circus ensemble in a
piano-trio format is like trying to realize Star Wars as a stage monologue. The Very
Very Circus not only performed fascinating, widescreen music — brimming with
polyrhythmic propulsion, tonal oddities and barbed melodies — but its
instrumentation also showcased an eccentric lineup which found room for two
electric guitars, a tuba, French horn, violins and assorted percussion.
Nevertheless, Vijay Iyer does
the nearly impossible with his captivating makeover of Threadgill's
"Little Pocket Size Demons." Against Marcus Gilmore's serrated drum
patterns and Stephan Crump's shrill arco bass melodies and thrusting bass
lines, Iyer masterfully articulates the composition's exuberant, zigzagging
melody. The collective improvisation grows more vigorous, yet the rhythm
section allocates enough space for Iyer to leap forward with a capricious solo,
marked by rumbling turnaround passages, jolting harmonies and jabbing
interjections.
At the height of all the jittery activity, the
trio captures much of the choreographed chaos that gave the Very Very Circus'
work such a super-charged cinematic feel.
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