Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Bobby Bradford/Hafez Modirzadeh/Mark Dresser/Alex Cline:...

5

Bobby Bradford/Hafez Modirzadeh/Mark Dresser/Alex Cline: Live At The Open Gate

By

Sign in to view read count
Bobby Bradford/Hafez Modirzadeh/Mark Dresser/Alex Cline: Live At The Open Gate
Veteran cornetist Bobby Bradford's penchant for conversational give and take in tandem with another horn is much in evidence on this 2013 live date from The Center for the Arts in Los Angeles. And in alto saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh, a Professor of Creative/World Music at San Francisco State University, he has found a foil who at times recalls his erstwhile employer Ornette Coleman in his insouciant garrulousness and even evokes his elemental country blues wail. Vastly experienced bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Alex Cline complete the quartet in a program of eight cuts, six authored from across the band, with two spontaneous creations, on this limited edition LP.

Three selections start with mercurial dialogue between Bradford's darting cornet reveilles and Modirzadeh's vocalized cry. Of these Bradford starts "HA^BB" by intoning the titular phrase and then giving a blues shout before a brief duet with Modirzadeh. The a cappella horn interplay continues unabated on the following number only to resolve into Bradford's classic proud but melancholy "Song For The Unsung." Also striking, is the melodic nature of the improvisations and impromptu harmonies and interjections. That's as evident on the collective "Reprise" which finds the unaccompanied horns in another downbeat exchange as on the charts.

Pick of the bunch, Cline's opening "Steadfast" boasts a lovely languid bass, introducing a stretched out pulse which promotes a further loosely expressed unison. Both Cline and Dresser prolong the spacious motif, but intersperse flurries of intensity building to a short-lived peak before settling back into the initial laid back resonance. Although there is barely a hint of extended technique, the play of both is informed by their backgrounds, most notably on "Dresser Only," a bass solo full of juddering timbres, high harmonics contrasted with buzzing thrum and stumbling rubber band twang. But even here fragments of melody surface. Several of the tracks seem to be excerpts from a longer performance, but nonetheless retain enough coherence to be well worth investigating.

Track Listing

Steadfast; Facet 5; Facet 17; Dresser Only; For Bradford; HA^BB; Song For The Unsung; Reprise.

Personnel

Bobby Bradford: cornet; Hafez Modirzadeh: alto saxophone; Mark Dresser: bass; Alex Cline: drums.

Album information

Title: Live At The Open Gate | Year Released: 2016 | Record Label: NoBusiness 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.
View events near Los Angeles
Jazz Near Los Angeles
Events Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

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