Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Miles Okazaki: Figurations

Miles Okazaki: Figurations

By Mark F. Turner
May 1, 2012
View read count

Figurations is the final release in Miles Okazaki's three volume compositional cycle. Its trajectory is based on forward-thinking ideas Okazaki began on his self-produced 2006 debut Mirror, and continued on the nearly sixty-minute Generations (Sunnyside, 2009), which was recorded in the studio in one take. While no less demanding, this recording was commissioned and performed in front of a live and appreciative audience at New York's Jazz Gallery.

Methodical yet emotive, there are manifold ideas and theories swirling in Okazaki's head that include mathematics, science, compositional theories, and improvisation in the vein of

Steve Coleman

saxophone, alto
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Coleman's M-Base models. But these rigors are met in full force by a quartet whose core members include jazz heavy hitters: alto stylist

Miguel Zenon

saxophone, alto
b.1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Miguel Zenon, impeccable drummer

Dan Weiss

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Dan Weiss and

Thomas Morgan

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Thomas Morgan, on arco bass, are each musically endowed and quite up to the challenge.

These adrenaline-charged compositions are consummate exhibitions of form and freedom, encapsulating exacting synchronicity and angular solos in "Dozens" and exoticism in "Wheel" (Okazaki describes this piece in the liner notes as "a rhythmic tiling canon in three octaves, with three voices, with a secondary canon layered on top"). Intellectual definition notwithstanding, the performance results in music that is exhilarating and passionate, with Okazaki and Zen��n darting and hovering like hummingbirds seeking nectar.

Other notable moments include Morgan's inquisitive solo in the intro to the title track, before getting to the composition's core. When it does arrive, the two lead voices declare seething solos propelled by Weiss' precise yet creative drumming. Weiss continues to stand out on "Mandala," an exploration of the Fibonacci rhythmic growth processes. Figurations is most fascinating, but better still, it requires no understanding of the intellectual concepts to be fully appreciated. The band translates Okazaki's brilliant ideas into music that is not only thought-provoking, but more importantly, captivating and moving.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Dozens; Rain; Wheel; Figurations (Intro); Figurations; Mandala; Loom; Corazon.

Personnel

Miles Okazaki

guitar

Miles Okazaki: guitar; Miguel Zenon: alto saxophone; Thomas Morgan: acoustic bass; Dan Weiss: drums.

Album information

Title: Figurations | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Sunnyside Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Metamorphic Rock
< Previous

Talkin' Blues with Chuck Leavell
Next >

Miles Okazaki Concerts

Sep 23 Tue

Anthony Tidd's Quite Sane Collective - Final Week!

Atelier Harlem
New York, NY

Sep 24 Wed

Anthony Tidd's Quite Sane Collective - Final Week!

Atelier Harlem
New York, NY

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.