Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Jason Roebke Octet: Cinema Spiral

Jason Roebke Octet: Cinema Spiral

By John Sharpe
August 9, 2016
View read count

Bassists leading mid-size bands inevitably bring to mind the trail-blazing precedent established by

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus. Others like

Dave Holland

bass
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Holland,

Barry Guy

bass, acoustic
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Barry Guy and

Adam Lane

bass, acoustic
b.1868

" data-original-title="" title="">Adam Lane followed. To that roster can be added bassist

" data-original-title="" title="">Jason Roebke, one of the stalwarts of the productive Chicago scene. Cinema Spiral constitutes the sophomore effort by his Octet, following on from High/Red/Center (Delmark, 2014). He reunites the same raft of Windy City flair as on the debut outing for a continuous suite demarcated into seven parts with thematic material shared across the cuts.

Voluble polyphony appears the outfit's calling card, with group interchange favored above discrete solo spots. The eight musicians are subsumed into Roebke's concept in which the compositional elements tend to be purposefully obscure, as one or two instruments sketch out written lines within the ongoing conversational interplay. But of course there are occasions where individuals assume prominence, with

Jason Adasiewicz

vibraphone

" data-original-title="" title="">Jason Adasiewicz's radiant vibes and

Jason Stein

clarinet, bass
b.1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Jason Stein's fluttering bass clarinet particularly well represented. Roebke's choice of vibes to underpin the ensemble reflects what a compelling presence Adasiewicz has become, and means that the realization of the charts remains harmonically open and allows the simultaneous invention to thrive unconstrained.

In the opening "Looking directly into the camera" a series of portentous block chords, which recurs at intervals throughout the album, introduces Roebke's pizzicato bass unaccompanied to set out his stall, before gentle meditation with vibes and horns. Later the ballad style "For a Moment" features

Josh Berman

cornet

" data-original-title="" title="">Josh Berman's languid trumpet pontifications. In general Roebke keeps the handbrake on, leading to a program notable for considered rather than high energy exchanges. The exception comes in "People Laughing" where the horns quarrel over choppy rhythm before order gradually asserts itself, as the Stein continues his overblown chunter.

Although

Jeb Bishop

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeb Bishop ruminates prettily on the fast swinging "Waiting," while the other horns flank him in unison, it's not until the final "L'acm��" that a joyful sweeping melody emerges from the horn give and take.

Greg Ward

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Greg Ward's sour sweet alto saxophone proposes attractive counterpoint and leads to some garrulous interaction, before the piece concludes with the leader's quiet plucked musings accompanied by Adasiewicz's chiming vibes, in an echo of the initial gambit. If there was a cinematic equivalent, it might be an experimental documentary, though one which makes its point without strong narrative or heightened drama.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Looking directly into the camera; Focusing; For a Moment; Getting High; People Laughing; Waiting; L'acm��

Personnel

Jason Roebke

bass

Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Keefe Jackson: tenor, sopranino saxophones, contrabass clarinet; Jason Stein: bass clarinet; Josh Berman: trumpet; Jeb Bishop: trombone; Jason Adasiewicz: vibes; Jason Roebke: bass; Mike Reed: drums.

Album information

Title: Cinema Spiral | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: NoBusiness Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Disappearing Day
< Previous

Michele Hendricks at Sunset Jazz Clu...
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.