Jack Wright & Bob Falesch: Clang (2001)

Mark Corroto

Senior Contributor since 1999

Mark misses his large dog Louie, but endeavors daily to find and listen to new and interesting sounds.

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Published: April 12, 2002

With much admiration, I have followed the very uncompromising career of saxophonist Jack Wright. His dedication to his outer-fringes (not even THE outer-fringes) of music have corralled his music into the margins, the proverbial footnote-to-the-footnote of history. Jack explores the music beyond that of Evan Parker and Mats Gustafsson. He reinvents the honk, the squeak, and the growl as musical conversations. Mr. Wright’s performances are frequently room clearing, or just as often standing ovations. His music is heady, intellectual, coarse music/anti-music.

Where Jack Wright excels is in his interplay with other musicians. He has worked with the likes of Bob Marsh, Michael Zerang, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Greg Kelley, Bhob Rainey, and William Parker. On Clang Jack finds his most sympathetic partner to date, one Bob Falesch. Falesch began performing music in 1997 on a laptop computer and within 2 years gravitated to keyboards. The instrument he utilizes here is one of his own construction, a metaPiano. This computer/keyboard device samples a 9-foot Yamaha grand piano allowing Falesch to alter pitch and velocity. Puzzled? It sounds like the musician is able to manipulate both the insides and the outsides of an acoustic piano.

Their collaboration recorded over the winter of 2000/2001 has the feel that they have been conspiring together for decades. Falesch’s influence spurs Wright’s playing into new territory. His horn flows most freely here, laying down note-upon-note of beauty. Perhaps it is the gentle soul of Falesch revealed through his metaPiano that urges Wright into these patterns. Not that Falesch can’t bang, stomp, and romp up one side and... You know the rest. Clang isn’t about noise as much as it is a mostly polite conversation where neither musician disagree on the destination. They simply take turns driving and commenting on each turn of the road. ZeroEggzie Recordings

Track Listing: Hard Won; Clang 1; Bee In Your Boppet; Prelude And Fluke; A Quarter-tone Past The Outstretched Muscle; 2nd School In Vienna; Metamorphosis Of A Pun; Clang 2.

Personnel: Jack Wright

Record Label: ZeroEggzie
Style: Modern Jazz