The October 2009 issue of Relix features this review of the Lucky 7s Pluto Junkyard:
The 60′s era spirits of Eric Dolphy’s Out to Lunch and Archie Shepp’s group with Bobby Hutcherson permeate the Lucky 7s Pluto Junkyard. The links to those stellar jazz references are a certain looseness mixed with an urge to swing, as well as the omnipresence of the vibraphone. Trombonist Jeff Albert, straight out of New Orleans by way of Chicago, leads his septet through a variety of moods, from energetic “#6″ to somber and the unexpected “Pluto Junkyard” and “Ash.” As with the previous Farragut, Pluto Junkyard mixes elements of traditional jazz counterpoint with a free-jazz spirit, similar to Dolphy or Shepp, but more so on the traditional side. Albert creates a fresh, small orchestra vibe similar to Dave Holland’s recent quintets with help from fellow trombonist Jeb Bishop, cornetist Josh berman, tenorist Keefe Jackson, bassit Matthew Golombisky, drummer Quin Kirchner, and especially vibist Jason Adasiewicz.
Note: The Lucky 7s are actually co-led by Jeff Albert and Jeb Bishop, I am not sure why the review mis-represented that.
allmusic ((( Similar in the Opposite Way > Overview ))):
“Slide trombonist Jeff Albert owes no small debt to two of his predecessors in Ray Anderson and Jeb Bishop. With New Orleans roots and modern Chicago sensibilities, Albert convincingly straddles the line between bayou swamp inferences as a foundation for the heady underground improvisational bent of post-AACM Chi-Town. There’s a loose tightness to this quartet, evident as the musicians weave in and out of slight written melodies, lay on thick counterpointed interplay, and suggest jazz from the hard bop era without directly quoting it. Alto saxophonist Ray Moore is further up in the stereo mix than Albert, which makes it seem like it is his date instead of the trombonist’s, but responsibility and teamwork in melodic and harmonic duties are undoubtedly equally shared. You’d be hard-pressed to find anything clichéd or rote on this recording, and surprises tumble out one after another from start to finish. The title track — as obtuse as the yin/yang inference — is relaxed and jaunty at the same time, reflecting the Crescent City modern swing and bop folded into streetsmart South Side Windy City grit. The funky strut and deep blues of ‘Bag Full of Poboys’ is fairly straight-ahead for this band; a swinging waltz identifies ‘Folk Song’ in a post-bop John Coltrane mode; and the poignant ‘Subtle Flower’ lives up to its title in its sighing, wishful-thinking nuance. The band enjoys dicing up phrases like a stinging chopped onion, with static notes in call and response on the deliberate ‘Ninth Ward Trotsky’ and the disjointed swagger of the semi-waltz ‘Chalk & Chocolate’ being the best examples. ‘I Was Just Looking for My Pants’ starts off in an acid tripped-out melody similar to ‘I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,’ then screeches to a dazed halt, stopped dead in its tracks. ‘Rooskie Cyclist’ closes the program in a light funk and harmonic dialect reflective of Chicago icon Ray Anderson, and perhaps the off-minor inclinations of saxophonist David Binney. Albert is a fine player, not surprising given his two decades freelancing with swing and big bands and working with New Orleans rhythm & blues groups, but recently displaying an affinity for the new wave of Chicago creative musicians. This recording holds plenty of interest over time, and marks Albert as a unique figure who is scratching the surface of his huge potential.”
Born in 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the resulting migration of some New Orleans musicians to Chicago, Lucky 7s is a collaboration between mainstays of the Chicago creative scene (including trombonist Jeb Bishop, cornetist Josh Berman, and vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, all of whom are active in the scene around Ken Vandermark and Rob Mazurek) and trombonist Jeff Albert, together with his New Orleans rhythm section of bassist Matthew Golombisky and drummer Quin Kirchner.
The music starts off in somewhat familiar territory: sinuous melodies dressed up in virtuosic arrangements, with particular emphasis on expressionistic brass outbursts, while a dreamlike vibraphone, supported by a fluid, constantly swinging rhythm section, opens new harmonic perspectives. But the record — whose dramatic progression is masterfully conceived — quickly frees itself from a certain distanced postmodernism that has become common today, in favor of honest, unpretentious jazz playing.
Recapitulating, in a very personal way, not just the entire history of modern jazz (from free jazz to the “loft generation”) but also the various readings of that history that musicians like Tim Berne and Ken Vandermark have contributed over the last twenty years, Lucky 7s create kaleidoscopic, brilliant music that is both sophisticated in its constant formal transformations and immediately accessible, due to its emotional commitment and the exemplary technical ability of each of the players. Brimming with intelligence, life, and emotion throughout, this recording is a deep breath of fresh air.
The August 2009 Downbeat has a nice news piece on me in the Players section (page 24-25).
Troy Collins reviews Pluto Junkyard for AAJ. Click the link to read the whole thing.
Lucky 7′s | Pluto Junkyard:
“Eschewing conventional AABA forms and head-solo-head structures, these episodic tunes feature an array of advanced compositional devices. Shifting tempos, fluctuating rhythms and unexpected bridges, turnarounds and codas yield a string of dynamic mood changes. Vibrant bouts of controlled collective improvisation and effusive unaccompanied horn cadenzas materialize repeatedly throughout the album, revealing conceptual parallels between Chicago-based, AACM-oriented free improvisation and New Orleans-styled polyphony.”
jazzword.com:
“Moving down south from Ninth Avenue to the Ninth Ward, Jeff Albert’s trick bag opens up wide enough to expose a series of the trombonist’s quirkily titled compositions. Most are performed with a sort of jerky and jokey unison between Albert’s trombone double-tonguing and slurs and Ray Moore’s slithery and slippery alto saxophone timbres. Albert’s low blats usually limn the melody while Moore’s sharp trills decorate them – or the process is reversed. Bassist Tommy Sciple walks convincingly, while drummer Dave Cappello’s breaks sometime function as a third lead voice.
Albert, who has backed Crescent City R&B journeymen such as George Porter and Deacon John, is also linked to the newest generation of Windy City improvisers, with his post-Hurricane Katrina-organized Lucky7s band, co-lead by fellow vale-pumper Jeb Bishop and otherwise staffed by Chicagoans.
Here, a piece like ‘Bag Full of Poboys’ is the most New Orleans-like in its grooves, with an in-the-pocket beat and the trombonist and altoist involved in searing double counterpoint. Staying down-and-dirty at the same time as it progresses, the piece allows Albert to let loose with brays, slurs and purrs, while just before Moore fractures the theme with altissimo runs, Cappello’s cymbal action and drags confirm the rhythm.
Not every tune is andante and staccato, however. ‘Subtle Flower’, for instance, is an intricate ballad. Slowly fertilizing the bloom, the two horn men’s timbres often intertwine, although each is playing a different melody. Moore moves from mid-range to whistling chirps that ascend to higher pitches, while Albert blows blurry, buzzy modulations.
Sometimes the piece takes on a vaguely oriental feel as with ‘Rookie Cyclist’. Steadily pumped and goosed by Cappello’s ruffs and bumps, the theme gives Albert a chance to showcase a wide-ranging collection of grace notes à la Roswell Rudd, and reed-biting Moore the place to assay rough Archie Shepp-like runs.”
I was interviewed by Jason Crane for his podcast “The Jazz Session.” Click the link below to visit The Jazz Session site and hear the interview.
The Jazz Session » The Jazz Session #62: Jeff Albert
Peter Margasak reviewed Similar in the Opposite Way as part of his Chicago Reader preview of our performance at The Hungry Brain on June 14, 2009.
Engines, Jeff Albert Quartet | Hungry Brain | Chicago Reader:
“Even before Katrina, Albert was working to absorb the influence of free jazz—a genre that rarely takes root in his hometown, with its tradition of celebratory street-parade and dance-band jazz—and the prevalence of those more abstract strains in the Chicago scene has had an unmistakable influence on the excellent new album by his New Orleans quartet. The tunes on Similar in the Opposite Way (Fora Sound), all Albert originals, burst with energy and ideas: the players embrace their New Orleans heritage with wonderful multi linear improvisation that’s reminiscent of Dixieland-style simultaneous soloing, even as they explore the sort of less structured postbop that’s popular with Chicago’s Umbrella Music community. Albert has a wonderfully fat, buttery tone and a highly melodic style; drummer Dave Cappello and bassist Tommy Sciple make for a limber, funky rhythm section; and saxophonist Ray Moore is not only an excellent foil for Albert but also a forceful, inventive soloist in his own right. “
Summer Love from Clean Feed:
“One of the more electrifying bands recording today…”
“…displays the ability to traverse multiple styles, emotions, and volumes. All supremely entertaining.”
Sunday June 14, 2009 Event of Centerstage Chicago – Chicago City Life in Chicago, Illinois:
“Bringing improvisation to the traditional sounds of his native city, New Orleans trombonist/composer Jeff Albert combines bits of swing, groove and funk with the clashing rhythms and melodies that define much of the Chicago improv-jazz sound. Albert’s quartet stays musically modest via its arrangement of saxophone, bass and drums, which leads to moments of accessibility and beauty on the group’s new album, Similar in the Opposite Way. Albert also is a member of cross-country collaboration The Lucky 7s, which features a horn-heavy frontline and fellow trombonist Jeb Bishop, a key cog of the night’s second band, The Engines. A sonically diverse mix of nimble runs and subdued tones, The Engines has a new album, Wire and Brass, out on Okkadisk this month. (Scott Morrow)”
