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Alex Coke & Carl Michel: The Emissary

By Jerome Wilson
April 16, 2022
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With instrumentation that includes harp, pedal steel guitar and vibraphone, this album is clearly not meant to resemble a classic jazz session. Instead, it ambitiously incorporates jazz, medieval composition and exotic folk melodies into a hypnotically beautiful set of diverse rhythms and motifs.

The most austere selection is "O Pastor Animarum" by 12th century composer, Hildegarde von Bingen. Here

Carl Michel

guitar
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Carl Michel's guitar,

Elaine Barber

harp

" data-original-title="" title="">Elaine Barber's harp, and

Bob Hoffnar

guitar, steel

" data-original-title="" title="">Bob Hoffnar's pedal steel guitar combine into a thick, iridescent weave of drone with grace notes gently tapped out by

Carolyn Trowbridge

vibraphone

" data-original-title="" title="">Carolyn Trowbridge's vibraphone.

Alex Coke

woodwinds
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Alex Coke's composition "The Emissary" is more in the spiritual jazz direction of

Alice Coltrane

piano
1937 - 2007

" data-original-title="" title="">Alice Coltrane. The composer's flute blowing an Eastern melody through a forest of strings before all the other players take turns billowing out of the thickly murmuring group hum.

There are also livelier tunes in the set. Michel's composition, "Sol Y Luna," is a graceful tropical tango which gives Coke's flute and Trowbridge's vibes room to dance. "Arabesque," a

Paul Motian

drums
1931 - 2011

" data-original-title="" title="">Paul Motian tune, has Coke's tenor sax singing forcefully into the midst of a gauzy harp-led sound bed. "Alterations" is a shuddering free jazz collision where

James Suter

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">James Suter's bass and Cole's flute throbs above the instrumental murmur. The set ends with a trip to

Albert Ayler

saxophone, tenor
1936 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Albert Ayler country as Coke burrows his tenor deeply into the Huddie Ledbetter folk song "Go Down Old Hannah." He shouts and shrieks deep-rooted bluesy passion as the other players vibrate around him.

The production of this album may lack polish but the music still feels immediate and raw. This sextet comes together beautifully in conveying the music's spacey and earthy elements. They can drift with meditative beauty or roar with passion and their collective sound lingers in the memory. This is a unique and lovely album.

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Track Listing

Arabesque; O Pastor Animarum; The Emissary; Sol y Luna; Alterations; Go Down, Old Hannah.

Personnel

Alex Coke & Carl Michel Sextet

band / ensemble / orchestra

Alex Coke

woodwinds

Carl Michel

guitar

Elaine Barber

harp

Bob Hoffnar

guitar, steel

James Suter

bass

Carolyn Trowbridge

vibraphone

Album information

Title: The Emissary | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Play On

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