Jordan Mclean: Press

Artfully blending world musics within a jazz context,
Jordan McLean has lent his articulate trumpet to
ethnic aggregations such as The Sway Machinery and
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. For his first release as a
leader, he guides this unique nonet, Fire of Space,
through original compositions that alternate funky
dance music with open space invocations filling his
new Handbasket with plenty of colors. Reeds abound
and the nine instruments allow for singular voicings
that, along with McLean’s horn, include Michael
Herbst on oboe, English horn, tenor sax and flute,
Stuart Bogie’s soprano and contra-alto clarinets, Aaron
Johnson’s trombone, Martin Penna’s bari and Lea
Paul’s alto flute.

The traditional Turkish folk tune “Rampi Rampi”
is served up as a blistering entrée into the session as
percussionist Geoff Mann and bassist Thomas Abbs
pump out a highly danceable rhythm that pulsates
through the fiery Middle Eastern changes

A meditatively pleading “Quiet (as the Birds of Fewa)”,
decorated by Shoko Nagai’s chordal organ, reflects the
cry of near extinct Tibetan avians before the title cut,
resplendent in bari sax riffs, driving rhythms and
McLean’s punching solo work, funks up the house.

A long journey into the “Valleys of Jade” traverses some
intriguing musical territory as double oboe and
clarinet lead the way through a decidedly Mid Eastern
motif.

Another burner follows, complete with real
“Children’s Voices”, exploring this band’s stellar
command of infectious rhythms and exposing the
heretofore unknown deep funkiness in the contra-alto
clarinet. The freedom of “Asifina’s Dream”, portrayed
by arco bass and organ, gives way to a deliciously
sleazy tenor trip that picks up stray instruments to
form a vagabond choir before solemn organistic
chords signal a final group “Prayer to the Elders”.
All
of these multiple timbres work together surprisingly
well, making for an exceptionally interesting
soundscape, testimony to McLean’s strong
compositions and leadership skills.

Handbasket (482 Music 1043; USA) Featuring Jordan McLean on
trumpets & compositions, Michael Herbst on double reeds, tenor sax &
flute, Martin Perna on bari sax, Stuart Bogie on clarinets, Lea Paul
on alto flute, Aaron Johnson on trombone, Shoko Nagai on organ &
pianette, Thomas Abbs on double bass and Geoff Mann on drums.

Local trumpet wiz, Jordan McLean plays with Antibalas, Droid and
leads the great Fire of Space. He played here at DMG last Sunday
(10/15/06) with bassist & theremin-player Ty Bertrand and knocked us
out with his great post-Miles space/trumpet and subtle electronic
grooves.
This is the second Fire of Space disc that we know of and
again, it is gem.

"Rampi Rampi" opens and is the only non-original
being a traditional Turkish tune. It has a joyous, Middle-Eastern
klez-like melody with the horns swirling together jubilantly.

"Quiet(as the Birds of Fewa)", features some great sintir-like (African)acoustic bass at the center with mysterious organ, odd horn harmonies and quietly spinning percussion. It reminds me quite a bit of the Sun Ra Arkestra circa late sixties.

The title tune has a great funky
groove led by the bari sax, some smokin' trumpet and more great
harmonies for the horns and reeds. I hadn't heard of Martin Perna
before this disc but that cat can really wail on that baritone sax!

"Valleys of Jade" features some more amazing contrabass from Tom Abbs,
with equally great organic drums from Geoff Mann at the center of this
slow and mesmerizing tune. Shoko's eerie electric piano and Mr.
Herbst's double reed are also featured and sound superb. "Children's
Voices" has one of slamming, Miles-like electric-funk grooves and more
great trumpet from Jordan. I dig the way it mutates into a great
flute-led section with funky shouts and some twisted clarinet. One
thing that Jordan excels at is layering different sections of his
group so that the rhythm team spins one way while the horns spin in
another wave with the soloist riding on top.

"Prayer to the Elders" is an auspicious closing piece with some wonderful organ from Shoko and a most memorable melody from the horns. It sounds like it could be a closing theme from a great, spooky science fiction thriller of yesteryear. It is certainly great to hear this fine local ensemble blending the Sun Ra, Miles and assorted ethnic influences into something new and exciting. - BLG