Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Noertker's Moxie: druidh penumbrae

69

Noertker's Moxie: druidh penumbrae

By

Sign in to view read count
Noertker's Moxie: druidh penumbrae
With his 9th album for San Francisco Bay Area-based Edgetone Records, bassist, composer Bill Noertker's Moxie ensemble is captured live during performances between 2011-2015. As a composer, he derives influence from famous visual artists, architects, poets and sculptors. Thus, his compositional impetus contains grounded jazz elements, yet his works feature lyrical mosaics of sound amid geometrical unison flows, whimsical overtones and a storytelling approach.

Moxie consists of alternating personnel, spanning the various ensemble configurations of these live performances. However, one of the main staples of this diverse track mix pertains to the leader's compositional savvy, lyrically charged theme-building creations and the inventive exchanges among the soloists. The musicians explore bop, loose groove panoramas, numerous deconstruction efforts and sprightly call/response type sub-plots. And they occasionally aim for the stratosphere with intense, free-form flights of fancy.

"Acrobat's Smile (Subrisio Saltat) commences with a mild-mannered jazz waltz motif, equating to jazz-centric swansong sans vocals, but saxophonists Annelise Zamula, Jim Peterson and John Vaughn whip matters into a popping and winding free jazz opus, tinted by Noertker's sullen arco lines. But "La Chenille," paints a contrasting vista due to a mantra-like vibe led by Zamula's cyclical flute passages and drummer Dax Compise's gently rolling toms passages, executed with mallets.

The variable mix continues with an upbeat chamber jazz tome, framed by oboist Amber Lamprecht's dreamy passages. Whereas "Matilda," is designed with a pulsating cadence and pianist Brett Carson's swarming low register chords, where he slams the pedals to the floor and mimics Zamula's hearty lines atop an entrancing hook. The plot takes another twist on the final track "Song for CH," commencing as a low-key and pensive motif led by the bassist's prominent undercurrent, leading to a slow buildup, but swaying towards the microtonal realm followed by hearty free style sax dialogues.

Noertker is an idea-man who spins a crafty tale or two on a per-track basis. At times gleefully off-centered, the musicians create a comprehensive jazz-framed soundstage, occasionally underscored with theatrical sensibilities. Each piece imparts a distinct message, coinciding with Noertker's multiple sources of inspiration.

Track Listing

Boxcars; Acrobat’s Smile (Subrisio Saltat); Hopscotch 34; La Cheniile; Puppeteer; The Green Metallic Silk, Those Endless Ribbons; Matilda; Blue Moose Over Miami; Before a Single Pain (Has got Within Range of Your Ever-Galloping Heart); dewey Dell; Song for CH.

Personnel

Annelise Zamula: alto saxophone (1. 3, 7, 10, 11), tenor saxophone (2, 6, 8, 9) and flute (4, 5, 9); Bill Noertker: contrabass; Joshua Marshall: tenor saxophone (9, 10, 11); Jim Peterson:- alto saxophone (2) and flute (4); John Vaughn: baritone sax (2, 4); Amber Lamprecht: oboe (6); Theo Padouvas: cornet (3); Eli Wallace: piano (1, 5); Brett Carson: piano (7, 9); Jason Levis (3, 6, 7): drums; Dax Compise: drums (1, 2, 4, 8, 11); Jordan Glenn: drums (5, 9, 10).

Album information

Title: druidh penumbrae | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Edgetone Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.