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Nick Mazzarella / Ingebrigt H?ker Flaten / Avreeayl Ra: What You Seek Is Seeking You

By Mark Corroto
January 25, 2022
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Nick Mazzarella / Ingebrigt Håker Flaten / Avreeayl Ra: What You Seek Is Seeking You

In a trio format, listeners have come to expect alto saxophonist

Nick Mazzarella

saxophone, alto
b.1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Nick Mazzarella to lead and write all the compositions. He introduced himself to the world with Aviary (Thought To Sound Records, 2010), and followed up with three more trio releases with bassist

Anton Hatwich

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Anton Hatwich and drummer

Frank Rosaly

drums
b.1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Frank Rosaly, four if we count Triangulum (Clean Feed, 2017) from his Meridian Trio (

Jeremy Cunningham

drums
b.1979

" data-original-title="" title="">Jeremy Cunningham and

Matt Ulery

bass, acoustic

" data-original-title="" title="">Matt Ulery). These albums highlight Mazzarella's ability to compose, perform and, maybe of greater significance, organize sounds. With What You Seek Is Seeking You and its predecessor Azimuth (Live At Constellation) (Monofonus Press/Astral Spirits, 2015), Mazzarella shares organization and assembly of the seven improvised tracks with bassist

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten

bass
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Ingebrigt H?ker Flaten and drummer

Avreeayl Ra

drums
b.1947

" data-original-title="" title="">Avreeayl Ra.

Gone is written music, but the album does not lack structure and coherence. Credit must be shared equally here. Ra, a member of

Sun Ra

piano
1914 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Sun Ra's Arkestra in the 1980s and more recently a key collaborator with Chicago saxophonist

Dave Rempis

saxophone
b.1975

" data-original-title="" title="">Dave Rempis, acts as both an accelerant and a governor for the trio. H?ker Flaten, the globetrotting bassist—who can be heard in Atomic, The Rempis Percussion Quartet, Icepick, and too many other ensembles to name—shares the leader role with inspired soloing. His pulled bass notes muscle up "Recollection" as Mazzarella does his best

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman alto emulation before sitting out to allow the bass and drums to converse. "Firekeepers" opens with a nod to

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane's Love Supreme with Ra's mallet work following that of

Elvin Jones

drums
1927 - 2004

" data-original-title="" title="">Elvin Jones, before veering into a blues, and ramping to intensity. To say Ra, H?ker Flaten, or Mazzarella "sound like X" is doing each of them a disservice. Each musician—no, the trio as a unit—has created a compelling sound, built upon co-operative improvisation.

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Track Listing

What You Seek Is Seeking You; Setting Out; Recollection; Longing; Debris; Firekeepers; Latter Day Protest Song.

Personnel

Nick Mazzarella

saxophone, alto

Ingebrigt H?ker Flaten

bass

Avreeayl Ra

drums

Album information

Title: What You Seek Is Seeking You | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: Astral Spirits

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