Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Nate Wooley Sextet: (Sit In) The Throne Of Friendship

Nate Wooley Sextet: (Sit In) The Throne Of Friendship

By Mark Corroto
August 15, 2013
View read count

Nate Wooley Sextet: (Sit In) The Throne Of Friendship

Like today's NFL quarterbacks, trumpeters are required to be multidimensional. Modern players (in football) are required to pass, run, block and call audibles. Likewise, the jazz horn player can't just take a high glissando solo, bow, and collect a paycheck; he/she has to be able to shift between the jazz tradition, improvisation, classical music and outside free, all while carrying a suitcase packed with extended techniques.

The new breed of trumpeters that boast all of these qualities includes

Peter Evans

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Evans,

Axel Dorner

trumpet
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Axel Dorner,

Cuong Vu

trumpet
b.1969

" data-original-title="" title="">Cuong Vu, Franz Hautzinger ... and Nate Wooley.

Wooley's sextet recording (Sit In) The Throne Of Friendship follows the quintet session (Put Your) Hands Together (Clean Feed, 2011), with

Dan Peck

tuba
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">Dan Peck's tuba added to Wooley's unique lineup of

Josh Sinton

saxophone, baritone
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Josh Sinton,

Matt Moran

vibraphone

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Moran,

Eivind Opsvik

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Eivind Opsvik, and

Harris Eisenstadt

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Harris Eisenstadt.

Fans of Eisenstadt's Canada Day ensembles—which feature Wooley, Opsvik and Peck—will appreciate the trumpeter's approach here. He balances his gift for extended technique against rhythmic scores and the low-end textures that come with the tuba, baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, and double bass.

The disc begins with "Old Man On the Farm," featuring Moran's ringing vibraphone and the band's incantations. Like the opening title to a movie, the rampart of sound rises with soloing players Sinton, Wooley and Peck reinforcing the wall. Wooley prefers the low end of things. Peck's tuba and Sinton's baritone provide a palpable feel throughout, giving the composer the ability to juxtapose the light with the heavy. "The Berries" balances opposites in a precise chamber setting, pinging vibes and upper trumpet notes against the chattering of Eisenstadt's cymbal work and the band's low end.

Elsewhere, he plays with a

Raymond Scott

b.1908

" data-original-title="" title="">Raymond Scott-like theme on "Plow," tumbling cartoonish elements against his extended breathy technique. The meditative "My Story, My Story" matches muted trumpet with the vibraphone's ringing bell-like sound, all against an almost ambient backdrop. Wooley takes his most impassioned solo here, sourcing his extended technique and raw emotion. His trumpet is again on full display with the opening solo of "A Million Billion BTUs," then in duo with Eisenstadt before the entire band joins. His simple-to-complex approach is laminated by the a steady pulse that allows the very subversive sounds of overblown saxophone and trumpet, big band dynamism and controlled mayhem.

Wooley zigzags, calls audibles, and changes the formations constantly- -just like a great quarterback should.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Old Man On the Farm; Make Your Friend Feel Loved; The Berries; Plow; Executive Suites; My Story, My Story; Sweet and Sad Consistency; A Million Billion BTUs.

Personnel

Nate Wooley

trumpet

Nate Wooley: trumpet; Josh Sinton: bass clarinet, baritone saxophone; Matt Moran: vibraphone; Eivind Opsvik: double bass; Dan Peck: tuba; Harris Eisenstadt: drums.

Album information

Title: (Sit In) The Throne Of Friendship | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Clean Feed Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Sun Ra Arkestra at the Victoria Thea...
< Previous

Black Motor with Verneri Pohjola at ...
Next >

Nate Wooley Concerts

Oct 11 Sat

Ingardens Festival

First Street Green Cultural Park
New York, NY

Oct 12 Sun

Ingardens Festival

First Street Green Cultural Park
New York, NY

Oct 13 Mon

Ingardens Festival

First Street Green Cultural Park
New York, NY

Nov 21 Fri

Jon Irabagon Quintet

Firehouse 12
New Haven, CT

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.