Reviews

Cadence Magazine Mar.02
By David Franklin

In an era of much conformity, saxist Bruce Freedman and his trio offer a spirited alternative to the ordinary. Indebted more to the late to post- Coltrane experimenters than to the beboppers, this sure-footed ensemble eschews changes-oriented improvistation in favor of the free excursions based on melodic and rhythmic motives and often focusing on creating a mass of sound. Sometimes their music is slow and quiet, as in the two versions of "Enormous Moments" and especially in the programmatic tone poem "A Mountain Pool". But frequently it generates great visceral excitement as in the ferocious climax of "The Devil Preaches Back". Tracks such as "Footprints" and the loping "Oasis" find a middle ground.

Freedman possesses fine control of his instrument and gets an alto sound somewhat similar to Ornette's but lacking some of the latter's earthiness (and he plays in tune). When he squeaks or squawks, it's intentional. Van der Schyff is a whirling dervish and Reed carries out his pivotal role with aplomb.

A well-integrated ensemble with an obvious distaste for the banal.

review by Frank Rubolino
[one final note | issue #9]

Vancouver has put its mark on the creative music world in the last decade or so through its incubation and development of a thriving art colony. Bruce Freedman has been an active participant in that movement throughout the 1990s and into the new century. In addition to fronting his own groups and playing with many of the leading names of the city, he has been a long-time force with the acclaimed NOW Orchestra. On Enormous Moments, Freedman joins with fellow Vancouver artists Clyde Reed and Dylan van der Schyff on an uplifting, supercharged trio flight where the music speeds along on high-octane fuel used for propulsion. Freedman plays with a cutting edge that slices to the heart of the theme lines and dissects them while spinning out long passages of improvised splendor. The recording is a true showcase for his improvising talent, allowing him the pleasure of expounding at length while expressing himself with vivid, wide-open phrasing. He is equally acute on alto and soprano. Freedman takes his horns down twisting and turning roads and easily negotiates every curve.

While Freedman is the prevalent force on this date, the contributions of both Reed and van der Schyff are inseparable from the success of the session. The drum accents and emphasis from van der Schyff are intricate and stimulating. He does not project in an overt manner but instead builds entangled percussion webs using cymbals and rims to embellish everything Freedman throws at him. As the tunes evolve, he gets more complex and aggressive, inserting appropriately placed bursts of deepening sound without attempting to overwhelm. Reed uses the bow for specific emphasis, but he primarily remains in pizzicato mode on bass. He produces a densely resonating tone that subtly encases each selection. His patterns begin with a recurring beat but soon evolve into ambitious wanderings, yet he always finds the homeport to solidify the songs with his anchoring strength.

Freedman composed seven of the eight tunes, giving the performance a fresh sound and giving himself the platform from which to dive assertively into his extended dissertations. His interpretative approach to Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” with its captivating theme line and ensuing diversions fits the mold he casts with his own tunes, and the program zooms forward without any hesitations. This is excellently crafted and provocative music with full emphasis on the creative side of the equation. I found myself listening to it repeatedly and being rewarded every time.

Enormous Moments by saxophonist Bruce Freedman’s trio reminds one of the revolutionary sounds made by Ornette Coleman, circa 1960. Unlike Coleman, Freedman has no motive for anarchy and certainly in the 21st century, where nothing’s shocking, I cannot claim to have been shocked by this recording. But listeners familiar with the revolution of jazz sounds certainly will appreciate this trio’s approach.

Freedman, a Vancouver native, has been playing jazz for nearly twenty years, recording with the Barry Guy, George Lewis, Rene Lussier, Paul Plimley, and Gregg Bendian. His approach to composition and playing incorporates the techniques of more outward free jazz players like Evan Parker, Mats Gustafsson and Sam Rivers into tighter, more accessible formations. Like a storyteller, he holds your attention by returning to themes and patterns within a song. At the start of “The Demon Preaches Back,” be begins with a statement that gets repeated, mantra like, through a chase and flurry of energy. Likewise the title tracks, part one and two, that bookend this recording repeat a slow figure that is ripe for group improvisation. With Freedman on soprano saxophone, “Oasis” draws a straight line back to the theories and music of John Coltrane and his almost infinite permutations for improvisational patterns. His working trio plays off this freedom/composed approach, responding with their own improvisations yet strictly adhering to the framework of each song. In other words, they take their listeners to the precipice of deconstruction but never fall into the abyss.

Fortunately Bruce Freedman and company play this music with very little risk that like Ornette Coleman, crowds will destroy his horn and chase them out of town. He does though play jazz music like there is no more important mission in this world. Highly recommended.

ENORMOUS MOMENTS (Independent) Can beautiful music be polite? It can, I think: consider the charmingly suave piano scores of Claude Debussy, the solicitously formal soundscapes of the Penguin Café Orchestra, or the exquisitely genteel improvisations of jazz guitar master Jim Hall. But there's another king of beauty that sometimes finds expression through music, a wild, voluptuous brand that spills off the stage or out of the speakers like a torrent of unfettered imagination. That's the kind of beauty - and the kind of music - Bruce Freedman delivers on his long-overdue solo debut, Enormous Moments; while the saxophonist does have his more pensive side, he's more likely to concoct long, sweeping strings of notes that explode with the force of pure feeling. His lines coil and curve around Clyde Reed'' big-hearted bass; then, driven on by Dylan van der Schyff's crisply assertive percussion, they tend to spiral upward toward emotional catharsis. Most of the CD finds Freedman, Reed, and van der Schyff running free through the trackless terrain of collective improvisation, and it's to their great credit that they never sound lost, aimless, or dispirited. Instead, they're adventurous and abandoned, and it's in this bold approach that Enormous Moemnts' true beauty lies.

review by Marke Andrews
Vancouver Sun
February 23, 2002

4 stars

The sax-bass-drums trio is not an easy beast to ride. Unless the members of the trio are in perfect musical sync, the tendency is to overplay as a way to compensate for the lack of a chording instrument. No such problem exists in this Vancouver trio, consisting of alto and soprano saxophonist Bruce Freedman, bassist Clyde Reed and drummer Dylan van der Schyff. Right from the impressionistic opener, Enormous Moments 1, it's apparent all three musicians have their ears wide open, sensitive to one another's moves. This occurs on both high-energy numbers like Lena Leaps, and on more pensive works, such as A Mountain Pool

Best track, in terms of improvisation, is the 10 minute Ruby, which feeds off Reed's ostinatto bass line and van der Schyff's airy percussion, allowing Freedman to soar and search on tenor. Even though the composition changes from structure to free-playing, the line of communication among the players never wavers.