Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jeff Cosgrove: Alternating Current

Jeff Cosgrove: Alternating Current

By John Sharpe
July 21, 2014
View read count

Drummer

Jeff Cosgrove

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeff Cosgrove certainly knows how to draw attention to himself. For his third album the DC area-based drummer enlists the services of two avant jazz icons in pianist

Matthew Shipp

piano
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Matthew Shipp and bassist

William Parker

bass
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">William Parker. Just what a coup this is can be gauged from the fact that Shipp's previous sideman dates have included the legendary saxophonists

David S. Ware

saxophone, tenor
1949 - 2012

" data-original-title="" title="">David S. Ware and AACM iconoclast

Roscoe Mitchell

saxophone
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Roscoe Mitchell. Cosgrove has studied with masters like

Andrew Cyrille

drums
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Andrew Cyrille and

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Motian, and has covered the latter's tunes on Motian Sickness: For The Love Of Sarah (Self Produced, 2012). It was Cyrille who hooked him up with his illustrious cohort, while Cosgrove showcases another tune by the latter on this otherwise totally improvised session.

Shipp acts as the perfect foil for a drummer given his predilection for rhythmic figures, and indeed it's straight away apparent that the exchanges between the two form one of the main talking points. Shipp deploys his customised mix of insistent motifs and crashing clusters, but makes less melodic input than on his own discs. Cosgrove doesn't groove in the same way as many of Parker's regular partners and so the connection between them remains more intuitive. Nonetheless the bassist maintains an energetic counterpoint to both drums and piano but inserts himself most effectively into the ongoing dialogue when wielding his bow.

In one way Cosgrove's pick of bandmates seems curious as both are such strong stylists and the piano inevitably comes across as the dominant voice. As a unit, it's less egalitarian than another Parker vehicle, Farmers By Nature for example, as Cosgrove responds respectfully to his stellar guests as much as leads. Where he does assert himself is in the selection of material, particularly the choice of his mentor's "Victoria." Shipp subjects the attractive theme to bass register variations, developing a dogged argument before returning to a delicate rendition of the head. Ultimately Cosgrove succeeds in raising his profile, holding his own and creating worthwhile and at times spellbinding music, though fans of Shipp and Parker will find their most vital work elsewhere.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Bridges Of Tomorrow; Alternating Current (For Andrew Cyrille); Victoria.

Personnel

Jeff Cosgrove

drums

Jeff Cosgrove: drums; Matthew Shipp: piano; William Parker: bass.

Album information

Title: Alternating Current | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Self Produced

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Michael Feinberg's Humblebrag: Live ...
< Previous

My Pet Peeve: The Mislabeled CD �C ...
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.