Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » David Bindman Ensemble: Sunset Park Polyphony

David Bindman Ensemble: Sunset Park Polyphony

By Karl Ackermann
March 10, 2012
View read count

David Bindman Ensemble: Sunset Park Polyphony

Jazz is at the forefront of the cultural renewal taking place in Brooklyn, and saxophonist David Bindman has been a quiet but leading force in that movement. Sunset Park Polyphony brings together members of the stellar quartet that last recorded under the leadership of percussionist

Royal Hartigan

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Royal Hartigan on Blood Drum Spirit: Royal Hartigan Ensemble Live in China (Innova, 2008), with Bindman extending the original group to a sextet with the addition of the brilliant trombonist

Reut Regev

trombone

" data-original-title="" title="">Reut Regev and trumpeter

Frank London

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank London. The addition of these two horns gives the ensemble a different feel, as the sound alternates between lush and powerful.

Those familiar with Bindman's earlier work with saxophonist

Fred Ho

saxophone, baritone
1957 - 2014

" data-original-title="" title="">Fred Ho, bassist

Joe Fonda

bass
b.1954

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe Fonda and his Brooklyn Sax Quartet know that he is very adept as an improviser. The free jazz approach plays a somewhat greater part in Sunset Park Polyphony, compared to Bindman's prior work with Hartigan. "Shape One" opens the set as a vivid and unpredictable statement that never rests and features an inspired solo from pianist

Art Hirahara

piano
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Art Hirahara. "Long Line Home" and the adjacent title track flow together in an additive process where fundamental harmonies are overlapped with complex patterns.

"Robeson House" opens cinematically and then accelerates, as Hartigan builds the tension using the whole drum kit. At almost thirteen minutes, the piece is a platform for Bindman's considerable skill as a composer. Drawing on complex time signatures he blends global influences so that no one reference point dominates the piece more than the emotion of the players. In contrast, "The Transient" features some very nice horn harmonies from Bindman, Regev and London, reminiscent of

Colin Towns

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Colin Towns' Mask Orchestra. Hartigan's contribution, as well as bassist Wes Brown, is often so subtle that it is easy to miss its complexity and importance in moving through the labyrinth of Bindman's compositions.

With Bindman's wealth of musical experience, it would be easy to lose pure spontaneity, but Sunset Park Polyphony consistently possesses an organic feel. Bindman and the ensemble imbue the spirit of enjoyment even as they adhere to an implication of social responsibility. They relate stories that are held together by collective musical memories. The ensemble's wide range of cultural appreciation is not a euphemism for world music. This is exceptionally creative jazz, at times played with great subtlety and sometimes with wild abandon.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

CD1: Shape One; Long Line Home; Sunset Park Polyphony; Robeson House Echoes. CD2: The Transient; Singing Bird Melody; Icarus Flies Towards the Sun and Returns; Invisible Dance; Singing Bird Reprise; Recurring Dream; Unspoken; Robeson House Reprise.

Personnel

David Bindman

saxophone, tenor

David Bindman: tenor saxophone; Wes Brown: bass; Art Hirahara: piano; Royal Hartigan: drums; Frank London: trumpet; Reut Regev: trombone.

Album information

Title: Sunset Park Polyphony | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Self Produced

PREVIOUS / NEXT

John Caps: Henry Mancini - Reinventi...
< Previous

Black Radio
Next >

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.