Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Larry Ochs / Nels Cline / Gerald Cleaver: What Is To Be Done

Larry Ochs / Nels Cline / Gerald Cleaver: What Is To Be Done

By Mark Corroto
May 15, 2019
View read count

Larry Ochs / Nels Cline / Gerald Cleaver: What Is To Be Done

Sandwiched between two epic novels of improvisation—each a track of over twenty minutes of sound—is the respite piece "A Pause, A Rose" by the trio of saxophonist

Larry Ochs

saxophone
b.1949

" data-original-title="" title="">Larry Ochs, guitarist

Nels Cline

guitar, electric
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Nels Cline and drummer

" data-original-title="" title="">Gerald Cleaver. Cline, who some may know from his work with the alternative rock band Wilco, opens with a few simple notes played over the splash of cymbals before pirouetting into some hallucinogenic guitar effects. The indolent pace suggests an uncertainty, but nothing could be further from the truth. The track decelerates to allow the listener an insight into the trio's working relationship. You often read about improvisers having great ears, meaning they suppress their own individual soloing in deference to their partners. In this brief track, that is quite evident and it is a perfect guide to the two massive tomes that make up the bulk of this recording.

Cline and Ochs have worked together in the past, most famously in the ROVA Saxophone Quartet's electric performances of

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane's composition "Ascension." Ochs and Cleaver released the duo performance Songs Of The Wild Cave (Rogueart, 2018). This combination of players creates an attractive sound, with most of the credit awarded to Cleaver. That is no surprise as he is one of today's most in-demand drummers and can be heard with

Henry Threadgill

woodwinds
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Henry Threadgill,

Roscoe Mitchell

saxophone
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Roscoe Mitchell,

Craig Taborn

piano
b.1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Craig Taborn,

Eric Revis

bass
b.1967

" data-original-title="" title="">Eric Revis,

Matthew Shipp

piano
b.1960

" data-original-title="" title="">Matthew Shipp, and

Ivo Perelman

saxophone, tenor
b.1961

" data-original-title="" title="">Ivo Perelman, to name a few. Credit goes to Cleaver here because he is the glue that holds these improvisations together.

Cleaver's pulse centers "Outcries Rousing" with a remote sort of organization. His rhythms contain the fire and fury of Ochs saxophones and the space-time effects of Cline. Even when the ferocity escalates, with monster guitar attacks that go toe-to-toe with saxophone wildfires, Cleaver holds the center, unbroken. In the words of the Dude from the Big Lebowski, he "really ties the room together." The same approach is heard on "Shimmer Intend Spark Groove Defend," which could be the soundtrack to a remake of Apocalypse Now as a science fiction film. The music travels from echoey soundscapes to guitar-rock, saxophone squark, and pulsating energy patterns. Yes, the kitchen sink is thrown in, but in the most organized way.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Outcries Rousing; A Pause, A Rose; Shimmer Intend Spark Groove Defend.

Personnel

Larry Ochs / Nels Cline / Gerald Cleaver

Larry Ochs: tenor saxophone, sopranino saxophone; Nels Cline: electric guitar effects; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Album information

Title: What Is To Be Done | Year Released: 2019 | Record Label: Clean Feed Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

No Euros Required
< Previous

Matt Mitchell, Linda May Han Oh, Raj...
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.