Winding Path by Stephen-Ong/Eliosoff Quartet

Co-leaders Vincent Stephen-Ong and Tom Eliosoff mark their debut with a decidely modern excursion, assembling a top-notch, if seemingly amorphous band to perform on a collection of entirely original compositions. At the core of the group is the quartet, in a traditional jazz configuration with Stephen-Ong on alto saxophone, Eliosoff on guitar, Miles Perkin on bass, and Mark Wheaton on drums. Adding a violin/viola/cello string trio and a trumpet/trombone horn section with Fender Rhodes on a few tracks steers things in a new direction.

"I'd been hearing some new textures in my head and, in particular, wanted to combine the very introspective 'chamber music' sound of a small string section with the very raucous, explosive sound of a jazz quartet," explains Stephen-Ong. "Some of the tunes and concepts owe just as much to serialism and avant-garde classical music as they do to traditional swinging jazz. Naturally, I gravitated to the kinds of instruments that have the sonic palette necessary to achieve that kind of aesthetic."

There is undoubtedly a root in traditional jazz, however. For every bizarre free-form scratching string ensemble sound interlude on Visitor, for example, there is the solid context of a hard groovin' rhythm section at the base. It's an eclectic mix of sounds, to be sure. At times they evoke the highly chromatic, polyrhythmic, and polytonal funk sounds of M-Base collective pioneers Greg Osby and Steve Coleman- with a good dose of Henry Threadgill for good measure. Other times, the approach emphasizes the modern jazz harmony and strong arcing melodic motifs of a more Kurt Rosenwinkel-inspired direction. Still other times we hear rambunctious and chaotic free improvisation from a Muhal Richard Abrams (to whom one of the tunes is dedicated) or Cecil Taylor school of thought.

Overall, it's an always adventurous and flirtatiously experimental debut release from these two Montrealers, securing their place as two young emerging voices on the jazz scene today.

Jazz, with one footstep in the tradition and one footstep in the future. An aesthetic sense derived from contemporary music primarily in the jazz, classical, avant-garde, funk, and hip-hop idioms.

vincentstephenong.com
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