- Zach Brock: violin, baritone violin
- Lage Lund: guitar
- Matt Penman: bass
- Obed Calvaire: drums
I first heart Zach Brock on WyCliffe Gordon’s recording, The Intimate Ellington/ Ballads and Blues and was really blown away by his playing. I really can’t claim to have listened to much violin jazz in the past, but what little I have heard sounded nothing like Brock. The visceral energy he brings to his playing is expressed in an incredibly rich and diverse sound scope. His violin can sing, it can scat, it can holler, and it can most definitely growl! It’s just amazing. Just recently I’ve finally looked up and ordered three of his releases from the same label as Gordon’s mentioned above, Criss Cross and two have already arrived. This is the 2014 release… his second from this label and the unique characteristic of this recording is the absence of a piano and sort of in its place, guitarist Lage Lund. The repertoire is made up of classics by composers such as jazz giants Dizzy Gillespie, Django Reinhardt and Charlie Parker but also a tune from Frank Zappa, whom Brock has worked with in the past. He has included a couple of originals as well.
Whether it’s because of the missing piano or not, the arrangements on this outing tend to be somewhat minimalist. The bass and drums tend to remain very laid back throughout. Several tunes begin with the two strings stating the theme in unison before branching out. The classics tend to be rather highly arranged, sometimes becoming significantly more complex than the original. Going into it, I wasn’t sure how the guitar/violin combination would work but I have to say, it is rather nice. The guitar is the more flexible of the two, being able to solo, harmonize and also play backup chords. I found myself wondering whether Brock ever considered playing back up chords on the violin when the guitar was soloing. It never happens here, even though the guitar almost always does so for the soloing violin.
Brock’s appearance with WyCliffe Gordon was really lively, even funky music. This outing would probably have to be classified as a bit more serious. Nevertheless, it is rich, multi-layered music featuring some rather unusual and even eclectic sounds. My next review will probably be Brock’s next release with Criss Cross that features a traditional rhythm section. But I can certainly say this one was quite engaging and pleasant.
Jim's Jazz Notes 