Lina Allemano Four
Gridjam
BY David Dacks
October 01, 2008 21:10
LINA ALLEMANO FOUR PLAY THE TRANE STUDIO (964 BATHURST) OCT 2.
Despite its awful title, Gridjam is another triumph for local jazz heroine Lina Allemano. Her trumpet and Brodie West’s alto sax are a remarkable combination. Their tonal qualities and sense of dynamics are well-matched, which make their binary melodic statements simply enthralling. Their intertwining spontaneity extends to drummer Nick Fraser — he is hands down the funkiest drummer in Toronto who’s not playing funk. Fraser and the unifying bass presence of Andrew Downing (who’s perhaps a little low in the mix) have an authoritative swing much of the time, making the irregular and deceptively post-boppish statements of the title track and “Recall” flow effortlessly. Whether engaged in deeply pulsating grooves or introspective tone poems, Gridjam’s sense of experimentation is supremely listenable.
Email us at:
LETTERS@EYEWEEKLY.COM or send your questions to EYEWEEKLY.COM
625 Church St, 6th Floor, Toronto M4Y 2G1