The tenor saxophonist and flutist blends dazzling proficiency with the divine
Tenor saxophonist and flutist Zoh Amba blends dazzling proficiency with the divine by means of free jazz. Taken from her newest album, O Life, O Mild Vol. 2, “Dance of Bliss” is an otherworldly symphony contained inside three gamers: Amba, William Parker on upright bass and gralla (a double-reeded Catalan woodwind) and drummer Francisco Mela. The 19-minute monitor is in a relentless state of forming and reforming — with plain abilities the trio ship and discard concepts as shortly as they come up. Amba and Parker shift from easy intervallic motifs on horn and bass to prolonged, speedy traces. Mela would possibly win MVP for preserving issues in constant and ahead movement together with his percussive commentary. As soon as Parker shifts from bass to gralla, the band neutralizes the previous foundational concepts to totally elevate the veil: vocal yelps are heard after which fade within the freeform stream and, close to the track’s finish, Parker plucks out a dense ostinato bass determine as Amba emits a tragic cooing, even weeping, by means of her horn. It is a tender and unsettling nearer for “Dance of Bliss,” choosing sheer emotionality and vulnerability that performs like pure honey within the rock.
