Third Coast Ensemble - Wreaks [Rouge Art - 2017]Third Coast Ensemble are a sixteen-piece jazz/ improv collective- bringing together members from both the US & France. Wrecks is seemingly the collective first ever release- and as you might expect from such a large ensemble the sound here is rather varied. Going from more melodic & building, through to densely weaving, onto playful & jiving, though to slightly more difficult & angular- all laced with the occasional performed & spoken word elements. Wreaks appears in the form of a six-track CD on French label Rouge Art- it comes in the labels house style white, red & black fold-out digipak. This features a 22-page glossy inlay book- which takes in both French & English texts about both the project, and the release. The album brings together a few live recordings made in mid-October 2015- though you wouldn’t know it as the whole things so nicely mastered/ balanced in its mix.
Heading up the collective as main composer/ bandleader is respected Chicago based cornetist, improviser and visual artist Rob Mazurek. He’s joined by Chistphe Roucher- Clarinet, bass clarinet. Steve Berry On Trombone. Christofer Bjurström- piano. Frédéric Briet-double bass. Philippe Champion- Trumpet. Lou Mallozzi- electronics & voice. Nicole Mitchell- flutes. Jeff Parker- guitar. Irvin Pierce- tenor Saxophone. Nicolas Pointard- drums. Nicolas Peoc'h- alto & Supno Sax. Avreeayl Ra-drums. Tomeka Reid- Cello. Mazz Swift-violin. V. Raude- electronics. With texts by Alexandre Pierrepont, and background voices by Yannick Leblay.
And sonically the album really is all over the place- touching down in so many different facets of Jazz & improv, as well as often dipping into world music & jazz-rock genres too. One track may start-off fairly harmony based in a more traditional form- but often the collective will either build, deconstructed, or shift into dense jam-outs- which quite often lead to new sonic avenues. Thankful most of the time the composition just manage to stay coherent/ focused- though from time-to-time things too get a little too manic & Multi-layered for its own good.
The album clocks in at just under the sixty seven minute mark, and for the most I enjoyed the twisting & turning journey that Mazurek & his collective takes us on with Wreaks. I’d certainly say this will appeal to those who enjoy varied, playful & genre mixed jazz- think Frank Zappa, later large ensemble Ornette Coleman, or John Zorn- but you’ll also have to not mind more modern electro-acoustic edges, and theatrical spoken word sensibilities too.    Roger Batty
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