Paul Lytton & Nate Wooley: The Nows

Paul Lytton (percussion)
Nate Wooley (trumpet)
The Nows (Clean Feed; 2012)
Ikue Mori (electronics)
Ken Vandermark (sax, clarinet)

An ambitious duo project from Nate Wooley and Paul Lytton that began only a few years ago but has evolved into an exciting collaborative effort. And with the two disc opus, The Nows, the listener gets to experience it in two separate live settings with guest musicians.

Lytton and Wooley have a chemistry that feels as though it goes farther back than just a few years. They begin their conversations slowly and roll into a volcano of improvised patterns that still maintain strong organic structure. "Free Will, Free Won't" features various crackles from Lytton's kit meshed against Wooley extended harmonics that feel like the tea kettle boiling over and no one cared.

"Abstractions and Replications" adds Ikue Mori's electronics to the proceeds. Mori's gadgetry turns the piece into an underwater scifi journey. There are smooth curling motions with tiny and intricate treatments. You have to stay still to hear the minor notes. This kind of skill requires the listeners undivided attention. And it's a brilliant discovery.

The second live set is with one of my favourite musicians, Ken Vandermark. "Automatic" sees Wooley share passages with Vandermark and it/s beautiful to hear the conversation escalate than drop out as one horn takes the lead. This all the while with Lytton ram shackling the hues in the background. It may read like chaos--but its a beautiful chaos. Vandermarks clarinet is deep and billowy.

"The Ripple Effect" is the shinning conclusion to this experimental journey. Wooley and Lytton are in fiery form and Vandermark quietly marches in toward the middle passages. Vandermark really compliments the duo, adding the exclamation points in each verse.

Lytton and Wooley are a powerful and emotion-bending duo that get even more creative with each guest musician. The Nows is another example of terrific collection of free thinking crafting new outlooks. An absolutely great live set.

Red Trio: Stem

Red Trio (w/Nate Wooley)

Stem (Clean Feed; 2012)

Rodrigo Pinheiro (piano)

Hernani Faustino (bass)

Gabriel Ferrandini (drums)

Nate Wooley (trumpet)

Like the old saying goes, "wine gets better with age," so too does the fantastic Portuguese group, Red Trio.

A phenomenal yet minimal self-titled debut that features a wide array of improvised occurrences with stellar insights in composition went further with the follow up, Empire. Empire featured British saxophonist, John Butcher as the interpretive foil to the trio's experimental exploits. This session seemed to awaken a challenging spirit within the band (especially on the title track). Now that inquisitive spirit has collided with the free form agility of one of my recent favourite trumpeters, Nate Wooley for the superb, Stem.

This quartet came together only a few months ago as a live collaboration but you can feel that Red Trio quickly developed a unique chemistry that makes this session even more personal and entertaining than Empire. The outstanding opener, "Flapping Flight" features jagged edges and improvised chords by the trio intersecting with short delicate notes by Wooley that rise and fall with romantic flavour. The piece expands as it moves into it's middle movements and creates similar exchanges to that shared on the trio's work with Butcher. Wooley and Pinheiro share a rolling battle of notes towards the end that is both captivating as it is complex.

Pinheiro's playing is at times very straight while delightful chaos occurs around him. "Ellipse" is one of those moments. Pinheiro's performance is almost Jarrett-esque but it is punctuated by canon of experimentalism on display by the rest of the group. Ferrandini's drums put on a quiet Billy Higgins type display. Rhyming when necessary and floating freely when called upon. Wooley goes from a stoic and melodic tone to dark quiet breathy exchanges with the trio almost silent adding a haunting yet organic nature to piece that is revelatory. 

"Weight Slice" has a frenzied pace that holds the listener in place while short burst of notes almost coalesce into one pattern but then brilliantly explode in the opposite direction. Wooley has individual dialogues with the trio throughout this piece. "Weight Slice" is probably the best example of the camaraderie this group has developed in such a short amount of time. The quiet almost ethereal departure of "Tides" is remincesent of Red Trio's debut. A spacious conclusion with slow droning effects and low tones that make you stop and investigate each note.

Stem is the best work to date by Red Trio and the addition of new musicians over the last two outings has only made this group better, inventive and fresh - like aged wine. Stem is one of those albums that will last with you all year long. Highly Recommended.


This is an older video but does highlight the creative thinking within the bands structure.

Zero Centigrade: Unknown Distances

Zero Centigrade

Unknown Distances (Audio Tong; 2011)
Tonino Taiuti (acoustic guitar, found sounds)

Vincenzo De Luce (trumpet, found sounds)

Duo recordings are nothing new. But what makes Zero Centigrade so interesting is the combination of guitar and trumpet. Not your usual duo. We saw this last year with the duo Nate Wooley and Joe Morris done expertly. Zero Centigrade have been recording since 2009 but have built up a small and intriguing body of work.

On their latest release, Unknown Distances (Audio Tong) Tonino Taiuti and Vincenzo De Luce bring a set of subtle, spacious and erie sounds to life with a real sense of adventure. It's a bit less deconstructive than their previous 2010 effort, I'm Not Like You (featuring one of my favourite pieces by the duo "Dirty Times") and you can find some structure within all the improvisation.

There's a combination of folk, blues, jazz and avant garde circling throughout the session. "Snake's Tail" moves slowly with Taiuti's mild stretches across the guitar, and fluctuations back and forth from De Luce's trumpet. It all turns into an interesting ride that has you wondering what sound comes next. "Now & Them"'s dark quality feels like moments out of Sonic Youth's Evol (think "Halloween"). Taiuti's playing is pretty straight forward with De Luce adding the improvised moments with striking passages of brilliance.

"Dry River" is probably the most well structured piece on Unknown Distances. Opening quietly with a bluesy theme from Taiuti and slowly expanding into an experimental exhibition of manipulated trumpet, guitar tapping and random sounds.

While Taiuti's guitar does dominate this session "Cloud #2" is a beautiful listening experience with both musicians working in tandem creating an emotional and minimalist soundscape. De Luce rips loose towards the end with real vigor and it carries over in the track "Upward" which De Luce uses varies breathing techniques to create some inspiring sounds. Unknown Distances closes with "Other Voices," a calm two chord piece with some warm passages crafted by De Luce.

In all, Unknown Distances is rich in its simplicity and deep in its desire to utilize space, minimalism and improvisation. It will be a hard listen for most but it is very rewarding. It's a small leap forward but retains the Zero Centigrade spirit for exploration and discovery. 

Harris Eisenstadt...From Toronto To New York

Harris Eisenstadt (drums)

Canada Day II (Songlines Recordings; 2011)

Matt Bauder (sax)

Chris Dingman (vibes)

Nate Wooley (trumpet)

Eivind Opsvik (bass)

Harris Eisenstadt is one those rare and highly versatile drummers that utilizes diverse world rhythms and themes into cohesive crafty compositions, all of which amounts to some fantastic outings. Eisenstadt has recorded and performed in various groups including Convergence Quartet, Nate Wooley Quintet and a killer session with Jeb Bishop and Jason Roebke entitled Tiebreaker, among many others. One of Eisenstadt's most recent and exciting units is his own creation, Canada Day (yes named for the country's national holiday and Eisenstadt's home of origin).

Eisenstadt is a Canadian but now living in New York. He has a unique, diverse and complex style that has been born over the course of recent albums (The Soul And Gone, Guewel, and Woodblock Prints). With Canada Day, Eisenstadt explores different meters, patterns and counterpoints but still beams with crisp accessibility. Eisenstadt sites Miles Davis' classic 60s quintet as inspiration and Canada Day II, the groups second release, is a solid post bop offering that reflects those influences.


His seasoned bandmates, all of whom have successful groups of their own, bring rich ideas to Eisenstadt compositions. The majority of the material is based on Eisenstadt's life experiences in the New York area of Brooklyn. This creative zone flies freely throughout the music on Canada Day II.

"Cobble Hook" is a fast paced opener with a lot fun and rhythmic patterns laid down in the beginning by Eisenstadt. The band quickly joins in and Dingman and Opsvik put in stellar performances. Wooley and Bauder add some heavy elements to the mix turning this into a smokin' affair that feels more big band than small group.


On "Now Longer" Eisenstadt gives the always impressive Opsvik time to shine with some very intricate solo work. This midtempo number delivers with swathes of free form thought from Bauder and some very exploratory drumming from Eisenstadt. "Now Longer" closes with the group in ethereal form thanks to Dingman, Wooley and Bauder. "To Be" really sees the quintet in a Miles Davis mode. Rolling patterns and urgency through each member's delivery makes "To Be" a fruitful and exquisite piece.

"Judo With Tokyo Joe" closes Canada Day II on both a melodic and beautiful note. The resonance of the piece and Eisenstadt blues-like pacing allows Bauder and Wooley to open up while Opsvik and Dingman set intimacy around the borders. It's a swirling piece that is dedicated to New York's grand avant-garde master, John Zorn, whom Eisenstadt gained new inspiration from prior to the recording this session.

Harris Eisenstadt has always been a well regarded performer, but Canada Day II shows him becoming an even more important composer and leader. His ability to write material that accentuates the most creative elements of his bandmates is simply superb. Canada Day I and Canada Day II are both highly recommended releases from a versatile and dynamic artist.

Daniel Levin's Modern World

Daniel Levin (cello)

Organic Modernism (Clean Feed Records)

Nate Wooley (trumpet)

Matt Moran (vibes)

Peter Bitebc (bass)

YOU NEED TO KNOW DANIEL LEVIN. 

Daniel Levin has been on the rise since his Don't Go It Alone debut in 2003. And while there have been plenty before him that has set the groundwork for the cello as a major instrument in jazz, inlcuding: Eric Friedlander, Daniel Pezzotti, Hank Roberts, and David Darling among others, Daniel Levin is one artist who is quickly making the cello a prominent force in jazz composition.

With a presence that may be larger in Europe than in the states, those within jazz circles know what an amazing musician/composer he is. He has worked across the improvisational spectrum, with the likes of Ken Vandermark, Joe Morris, Andrew Cyrille, Anthony Braxton and many more. Levin brings a subtle adventurous beauty to this chamber setting on his latest, Organic Modernism (Clean Feed Records). His consist and always remarkable quartet of Wooley (trumpet), Moran (vibraphone) and Bitebc (bass) deliver an eloquent and colourful performance throughout the brilliant journey that is Organic Modernism.

"My Kind Of Poetry" is as touching as it is melodic and dense in a slow blues-like fashion. The interaction between Bitebc and Levin at times feels like one instrument. The piece continues builds slowly with the addition of Wooley and then Moran in a more laid back role on this piece. Then we finally arrive at what is an interesting and brief denouement as Levin and Bitebc briskly break in and bring the piece to its conclusion.

"Old School" begins with a haunting, swirling vibe started by Moran and Wooley and then intersects with Bitebc downward strumming and some intricate chord changes by Levin. It's an exploratory piece with a great deal of depth. Levin uses the space between perfectly and he and Moran interweave back and forth in the mix. There's a cool warmth to this meditative piece that gives you a realm glimpse of a quartet that has worked together for a very long time and knows how and when to fill the sound world they have created.

"Wild Kingdom" is a wonderful statement which Levin unveils a fierce opening while painting the outside borders for the group to follow. There's improvisation here, especially from Wooley and Bitebc, but there is also a real sense of direction and structure that you soon grasp a follow with interest on how this end. That's the excitement of the organic journey.

Organic Modernism delivers on the idea that the use of space, depth and sound can conjure some beautiful melodies. Organic Modernism also delivers the melody in unexpected structures, all the while, creating a pleasant listening experience for the audience. I hope for most people this isn't your first experience with Daniel Levin but if it is it is a great one. Now go buy the rest of his works.

Nate Wooley

Nate Wooley (trumpet)

(Put Your) Hands Together (Clean Feed Records)

Matt Moran (vibes)

Johs Sinton (bass clarinet)

Harris Eisenstadt (drums)

Eivind Opsvik (bass)

I haven't been a Nate Wooley fan very long but I have come to learn to expect the unexpected when I put one of his albums on. Nate Wooley's latest, (Put Your) Hands Together is no different. For me it is the best album as leader I have heard from him. And, (Put Your) Hands Together is causing my list of best albums of year to grow quicker, a lot earlier this year. Wooley likes to explore sparseness of sound and space. His music has melody but it is more the improvisation and harmonics that take precedent on his recordings. And his quartet take will take you on a journey that is both brave as it is illuminating.

(Put Your) Hands Together is a dedication to the family and friends that have shaped and inspired his life. There is exuberance and delicacy throughout this session making it also one of the more "accessible" yet still best improvisational recordings yet from the increasing important trumpeter.

The title track, "Hands Together" puts forth the marching orders for the band--be expansive, creative but always intimate. One of the great things about Nate Wooley's music is the difficulty in trying to describing to my friends. I feel like Dave Douglas, Nate Wooley has his own vision of jazz going beyond what the instrument is supposed to do, how the composition sounds and how we the listener are expected to encompass it. "Hands Together" moves in different directions (both straight ahead rhythm to deconstruction) and it makes for an exciting launching pad after the sparse solo trumpet opener of "Shanda Lea 1".

Explorations in sound and density are always a benchmark of Nate Wooley's recordings. This plays out nicely on "Pearl", a short but evocative piece which the quartet take most if not all the lead. There is a hint of Wooley's interaction in the opening few chords but you have to listen closely. This composition is more a vehicle for the rest of the group to experiment with space and they do it exact and efficiently.

The repetitive motion and almost good nature of "Ethyl" and "Hazel" is another instance where Wooley moves between boppish themes and deconstruction with ease. With some wonderful interchanges between Josh Stinton and Matt Moran on "Ethyl" it feels ethereal and yet grounded in playful humour. "Hazel" brings a high level of beauty to the (Put Your) Hands Together. A ballad that is truly touching, emotional and introspective from its creator.

(Put Your) Hands Together is hopefully the moment where a new audience starts to advance towards the ideas put forth by Nate Wooley. There are very few trumpeters on the scene today with his kind of vision and the skill to pull it off. He is playing without really thinking about the structure so much as he is thinking where the music will take us next. Highly Recommended.