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Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons Live At The Village Vanguard

By Mark Corroto
September 2, 2023
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Kris Davis: Diatom Ribbons Live At The Village Vanguard

The term "proof of concept" might be the appropriate subtitle to

Kris Davis

piano
b.1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Kris Davis' Diatom Ribbons' Live At The Village Vanguard. Her concept, first heard on the eponymous release Diatom Ribbons (Pyroclastic, 2019), is demonstrated on two discs taken from 12 sets over six nights at the famed Greenwich Village nightclub. The pianist does indeed verify that her concepts have practical application. She initially formed a core group, a quartet with bassist

Trevor Dunn

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Trevor Dunn, turntablist and electronics composer

Val Jeanty

electronics

" data-original-title="" title="">Val Jeanty (aka Val-Inc), and drummer

Terri Lyne Carrington

drums
b.1965

" data-original-title="" title="">Terri Lyne Carrington. Diatom Ribbons' previous release added saxophonists

Tony Malaby

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Tony Malaby and

JD Allen

saxophone, tenor
b.1972

" data-original-title="" title="">JD Allen, guitarists

Nels Cline

guitar, electric
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Nels Cline and

Marc Ribot

guitar
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Marc Ribot, bassist

Esperanza Spalding

bass
b.1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Esperanza Spalding, and drummer

Ches Smith

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Ches Smith. With this Vanguard session the core quartet adds just one additional musician, guitarist

Julian Lage

guitar, electric

" data-original-title="" title="">Julian Lage.

With Lage, Davis sets about to demonstrate that the Diatom Ribbons concept is adaptable to different voices, yet remains connected. That connection is found between her compositions and the history of the avant-garde. The set opens with

Ronald Shannon Jackson

drums
1940 - 2013

" data-original-title="" title="">Ronald Shannon Jackson's "Alice In The Congo" where turntable swipes and voice samples are overlaid upon a saucy groove. The sound is comparable to pianist Jason Moran's Bandwagon sessions. But where Moran improvised around a sample, Davis allows Jeanty to create sound sculpture within each composition. The track blossoms into some

Cecil Taylor

piano
1929 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Cecil Taylor-like piano explorations and Carrington's funky drum eruption.

Davis draws far and wide for inspiration, from

Eric Dolphy

woodwinds
1928 - 1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Eric Dolphy's "Hat And Beard" and Nancarrow's "Study No. 9 for Player Piano" for her "Nine Hats" which bubbles with spooky electronics to "VW" with samples of

Sun Ra

piano
1914 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Sun Ra speaking of other dimensions, and Davis' prepared piano performing

Geri Allen

piano
1957 - 2017

" data-original-title="" title="">Geri Allen's "The Dancer." The three part "Bird Suite" presents in "Part 1: Kingfisher" a rocked out tribute to

Charlie Parker

saxophone, alto
1920 - 1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Parker with synthesizer and piano battling with Lage's guitar. "Part 2: Bird Call Blues" layers voice,

Paul Bley

piano
1932 - 2016

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Bley's recall of Parker's extrasensory perceptions of music, and bird samples over a classic bebop swing. Finally "Part 3: Parasitic Hunter" finds Stockhausen speaking on 'intuitive music' with fragments of Parker's music and, is that John Williams' "Jaws" theme from the 1975 film that bubbles up here? With Davis, everything from popular culture to high art are available for sampling, elaboration and interesting improvising discoveries.

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Track Listing

Alice in The Congo; Nine Hats; The Dancer; VW; Dolores, Take 1; Bird Suite, Part 1: Kingfisher; Endless Columns; Bird Suite, Part 2: Bird Call Blues; Bird Suite, Part 3: Parasitic Hunter; Brainfeel; Dolores, Take 2.

Personnel

Kris Davis

piano

Terri Lyne Carrington

drums

Trevor Dunn

bass

Val Jeanty

electronics

Julian Lage

guitar, electric

Additional Instrumentation

Kris Davis: prepared piano; arturia microfreak synthesizer.

Album information

Title: Diatom Ribbons Live At The Village Vanguard | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Pyroclastic Records

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