Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Erica Lindsay / Sumi Tonooka: Initiation

Erica Lindsay / Sumi Tonooka: Initiation

By Jeff Dayton-Johnson
June 15, 2010
View read count

Erica Lindsay / Sumi Tonooka: Initiation

Long Ago Today (Artists Recording Collective, 2008), pianist Sumi Tonooka's previous release, generated two immediate reactions. First, it seemed astonishing that so singular, strong and distinctive a player could have been flying beneath the radar for so long. Second, the rhythm section—Tonooka, bassist

Rufus Reid

bass, acoustic
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Rufus Reid and drummer Bob Braye—played with an unusual empathy that held the promise of ever-richer future collaborations; sadly, such hopes were dashed when Braye died in 2007, after Long Ago Today was recorded.

For both reasons, the appearance of a new Tonooka record, again featuring Reid and Braye, is especially welcome. Indeed, the material on Initiation draws from the same October 2004 sessions that produced the earlier record. Many of its arresting elements are here, including a kind of brooding intensity in the compositions and the playing.

Initiation is co-led by Erica Lindsay, a saxophonist who teaches on the music faculty at Bard College, and has a forceful, sometimes slightly wild style well-suited to Tonooka's propulsive style of improvisation. The saxophonist can be bold and bright on one number, like

Stan Getz

saxophone, tenor
1927 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Stan Getz, or dark and volcanic, like

David Murray

saxophone, tenor
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">David Murray, on the next. Together, both women give the impression of being slightly aggressive radicals, playing relatively sweet material; the appeal is a little like the charge that comes from hearing progressive players like

Anthony Braxton

woodwinds
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Anthony Braxton or

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman playing standards.

Regrettably, on balance, the change in format between the earlier disc and this one has the effect of diluting the impact of Tonooka's remarkable playing. The pianist's solos are well-argued, but seem shorter and less assertive than on Long Ago Today. Too, the compositions are a shade less memorable here, with the exception of the haunting "Mingus Mood," fully worthy of bassist

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus, its dedicatee.

The most formally adventurous moment comes on the set-closing "Yes," a Lindsay composition. The composition is a series of segments sequenced together: Lindsay blowing energetically over a funk beat to begin with, phasing into a high-bop episode featuring Tonooka and the rest of the group. It's also the freshest sound the quartet achieves on this strong release.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Mari; Mingus Mood; South Street; Initiation; Serpent's Tale; In the Void; Somewhere Near Heaven; Black Urgency; The Gift; Yes.

Personnel

Sumi Tonooka

piano

Erica Lindsay: tenor saxophone; Sumi Tonooka: piano; Rufus Reid: bass; Bob Braye: drums.

Album information

Title: Initiation | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: ARC - Artists Recording Collective

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Fred Hersch: Whirl
< Previous

Jose Conde Band at Central Park Summ...
Next >

Sumi Tonooka Concerts

Dec 21 Sun

Bobby Zankel

Solar Myth
Philadelphia, PA

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.