Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Hirsh / Swell / Clouse / Parker: Out On A Limb

Hirsh / Swell / Clouse / Parker: Out On A Limb

By Mark Corroto
September 13, 2024
View read count

Hirsh / Swell / Clouse / Parker: Out On A Limb

Can d��j�� vu be contagious? Or at least a particular quality or disposition that is communicable? This might be the question to ask after sitting down with Out On A Limb by the improvising quartet of

Steve Hirsh

drums
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Hirsh,

Steve Swell

trombone
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Swell,

Jim Clouse

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Jim Clouse, and

William Parker

bass
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">William Parker. The music this unit created spontaneously in April 2024 does not appear from thin air, it is a product of a half-century of innovation and modernism in music.

Much of that history has been written by bassist

William Parker

bass
b.1952

" data-original-title="" title="">William Parker, working with the pioneers

Cecil Taylor

piano
1929 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Cecil Taylor,

Peter Brötzmann

woodwinds
1941 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Br?tzmann,

Bill Dixon

trumpet
1925 - 2010

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Dixon,

Charles Gayle

saxophone
1939 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Gayle,

David S. Ware

saxophone, tenor
1949 - 2012

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

Matthew Shipp

piano
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Matthew Shipp, plus leading his ensembles, small and large. Likewise, trombonist Steve Swell has been called upon by Parker, and

Anthony Braxton

woodwinds
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Anthony Braxton, to add to their bands as well as leading a trio, his Fire Into Music quartet, and other various duos and large ensembles.

Parker and Swell are joined by two technicians of the avant-garde. Jim Clouse might be better known to those who read the credits to recordings, as he has recorded, mixed and mastered hundreds (maybe a thousand) modern studio sessions. Here he plays various saxophones, drawing from all the music he has absorbed over the years. Steve Hirsh made a splash on

Chad Fowler

saxophone
b.1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Chad Fowler's Mahakala Music in 2021 recording with

Joel Futterman

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Joel Futterman, then

Eri Yamamoto

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Eri Yamamoto,

Ivo Perelman

saxophone, tenor
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Ivo Perelman,

Zoh Amba

woodwinds
b.2000

" data-original-title="" title="">Zoh Amba and William Parker.

The three lengthy improvised tracks (the shortest being twenty-three minutes) draw on the quartet's collective memories. Needless to say, many avenues are explored here, but specific themes also arrive with each track. "But Where" harkens back to "The Chase" by

Dexter Gordon

saxophone, tenor
1923 - 1990

" data-original-title="" title="">Dexter Gordon and

Wardell Gray

saxophone, tenor
1921 - 1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Wardell Gray. Not that Close and Swell are playing some proto-bebop, but they are in pursuit, wrapping lines around each other while Hirsh and Parker act as the engines. With "Out On A Limb," memories of

Charles Mingus

bass, acoustic
1922 - 1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Mingus' workshop come to mind. Parker instigates with some fat blues, and the others follow his example. The finale, "Escape Velocity" opens with bowed bass, followed by saxophone and trombone incantations and Hirsh's brushwork. The piece follows in the tradition of

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane's spiritual mediations. The quartet creates this spontaneously composed prayer out of thin air. This music is new, one has an eerie feeling it has been internalized by listening habits and also the fine musicians here.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

But Where; Out On A Limb; Escape Velocity.

Personnel

Steve Hirsh

drums

Steve Swell

trombone

Jim Clouse

drums

William Parker

bass

Additional Instrumentation

Jim Clouse: saxophones.

Album information

Title: Out On A Limb | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Soul City Sounds

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Six Additional Pieces of Piano Music
< Previous

Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea: Maid...
Next >

Steve Hirsh Concerts

Sep 17 Wed

Steve Hirsh/damon Smith/art Edmaiston

Berlin Music Bar
Minneapolis, MN

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.