Jason Stein - Anchors (TAO Forms, 2024)

By Don Phipps

Was there ever a musician more perfectly suited to the bass clarinet than Jason Stein? Yes, Eric Dolphy, Ken McIntyre, Ned Rothenberg, and David Murray – all noted and amazing musicians - have played the bass clarinet, but Stein has drawn the line by making it his primary instrument. In so doing, Stein has been able to take the bass clarinet to the next level. One need look no further than his effort on Anchors to hear and understand his greatness.

On the album, his first effort as a leader of an ensemble in over six years, he plays with Joshua Abrams (on bass) and Gerald Cleaver (on drums). The two sidemen provide sympathetic accompaniment, as does guest guitarist Boon, who adds a sweet splash of guitar on the opening and ending numbers (“Anchor I” and “Anchor 2”).

But it is Stein who dominates nearly every bar of music. His approach runs from restless rambles to subtle poetry. Take his racing, repeating motif on “Crystalline,” or, later on, where he covers the bass clarinet registers in a controlled, unpressed, unhurried manner. Then there is the hard bite on the reed in “Cold Water,” where he pinches off forceful abstract lines as he works his embouchure like a heavyweight boxer might work a heavy bag. Listen to the long low foghorn notes that open “An Origin,” and how this evolves into a soulfully sweet revelation as the piece winds down like a boat slowly approaching a distant horizon.

Stein also displays his tonguing technique – check out the opening of “Holding Breath.” And on this same composition, he employs the difficult circular breathing technique, where somehow, he projects a tone through the instrument while breathing just enough to sustain the tone. The piece ends with his masterful exploration of both the upper and lower registers of his elongated woodwind atop a head-nodding bouncy rhythm.

Cleaver and Abrams do their part to make this album special. Cleaver’s subtle efforts are noteworthy. On “Boon,” he covers the trap set while maintaining a soft gentle sound. And his cymbal work on “Crystalline” is, in a word, exceptional. Later in the same piece, one can hear him exhibit a remarkably light touch on the toms and snare. Meanwhile, Abrams makes wonderful use of the bow on “Crystalline” and “An Origin,” and towards the end of the latter composition, he contributes lively and colorful plucks of the bass strings.

There is much to enjoy on Jason Stein’s Anchors. The trio is tight and the music full of life. Each number has its own raison d'etre and all the pieces together contribute to an exceptionally strong mix of movement, clarity, and interest. Enjoy!