By Don Phipps
Alto saxophonist Tom Weeks creates an amazing tour de force of muscular, musical intensity on his album Paranoid II, an outing he dedicates to the great Art Ensemble of Chicago founder and AACM member Roscoe Mitchell (now 84 years young). Weeks, who composed all the numbers, is joined by James Paul Nadien on drums and Shogo Yamagishi on bass. Together, the trio rip, roar, and soar – creating soundscapes of heated beauty.
The opening “I Hate You With a Passion (for Andre Nickatina)” begins with a slow sax lament, but as it progresses, it develops into a sweeping wave of hard blowing before returning to the lament. On “Dummy Data,” there’s explosive honky tonk, pushed by Nadien’s race across the trap set – no drum or cymbal untouched - and Yamagishi’s wonderful speed walk plucks. Weeks squeals in fury, a dynamism that reminds one of Mitchell at his most penetrating. And Nadien’s solo, a robust coastal storm replete with fury, demonstrates his vigor.
Heavy syncopated action is the hallmark of “Kulture Krusaders.” The rhythm section kicks up a virtuosic outburst – the listener propelled like a jet across the sky. One hears Mitchell in Weeks’ tone and prowess – his boiling romp backed by Nadien’s everywhere-at-once drumming. Weeks also shows off his circular breathing, playing a note without pausing for a breath as the bass and drums roil about - a washing machine gone haywire. Then everything comes to a sudden stop, followed by a wild and stuttered pulse in edge-of-your-seat unison.
“A New American Promise” insists on a clownish Beethoven 5th motif. Is Weeks’ wisecracking tone mocking the “promise?” Say it’s not so – LOL. Nadien fascinates with his two-hand unity cycle, and Yamagishi rifles up and down the bass neck – but always with a sense of control, while Weeks’ sax develops soulful arcs that shoot to the sky. Another wild ride, “Eleven Rings (for Phil Jackson)” lets Weeks again demonstrate circular breathing [Editor Note: I first heard this technique at a stunning solo Roscoe Mitchell concert on February 4, 1979, at Boston’s Lulu White’s Jazz Supper Club, in a tour celebrating the release of Mitchell’s 1978 highly recommended release of L-R-G / The Maze / S II Examples(Nessa Records – N-14/15). It was so innovative I have never forgotten the experience].
Weeks’ circular series begins with a long trill that evolves into controlled runs atop Yamagishi’s bowing and Nadien’s emergent drumming fireworks. Weeks continues his series, becoming more frenetic, and no matter how fluid the sax and drum, Yamagishi uses the bow to propel the music forward. As the piece ends, the bottom drops out and Weeks repeats his trilling opening. Simply beautiful!
On “A Fire Upon The Deep,” Yamagishi performs solo, his bass lines fluttering about like a fish out of water – his attack precise and willful. Weeks exhorts with powerful legato passages – and later plays in unison with Yamagishi. He also exhibits machine gun style tonguing skills and adds slurring runs to the mix. Nadien jumps in with sonic arcs - his sticks hit the drums with slick rolls and rollicking splashes. All hell breaks loose – the music’s raw energy bursts like a sun shooting out flares in multiple directions. The cut concludes with a slow Sisyphus exertion - pushing a boulder of hard notes up a steep mountainside.
Weeks concludes with the bopish Gaye Sex. Yamagishi shines, his bouncy bass complex and explosive. Then he lays down a line as Weeks joins him – a funky strut, a summer stroll along a pier, the red sun setting in the distance. This number is pure fun – Yamagishi’s bass generates head-nodding funk and Nadien plops and strikes the trap set as Weeks celebrates with a sax jubilee.
Paranoid II is special. Really. Special. It has ENERGY. It has inflamed power. And it consists of a ferocious yet controlled performance. A five-star review for a five-star album. Damn the torpedoes – full steam ahead! And, to borrow from David Lynch, “damn good coffee.”
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