TED
NASH and ODEON
La Espada de la Noche
Palmetto Records
La Espada de la Noche is probably
not going to sound a whole lot like any jazz music you’ve
ever heard before. But it will probably remind you of a
whole bunch of things yoou’ve heard—snippets
of jazz, klezmer, Middle Eastern music, various Latin and
Mediterranean themes, and—very strongly—tango.
The instrumentation alone moves the album from the realm
of many jazz listeners’ experience. Nash plays tenor
sax as well as alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, and alto
flute. Nathalie Bonin plays violin, Clark Gayton adds tuba,
trombone and baritone horn, Bill Schimmel plays accordian,
and Matt Wilson sits in on drums. The results are often
swinging as can be (listen to Nash’s solo on the less-frequently
heard Allegro section of “Concierto de Aranjuez”),
but can also resonate deeply with the musical influences
of other genres and nationalities (“A Night In Tunisia”
and “Sebago”).
Beginning with a completely fresh take on
Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night In Tunisia”
(how often can you truly say that?) that asserts the disc’s
tango influence right away, Nash chips away at our expectations
regarding both jazz and tango music. And lest you think
there’s no room for improvisation in these very controlled,
Ellington-influenced arrangements, you’ll be pleasantly
surprised when Nash cuts loose with a solo.
On the more familiar Adagio section of the
“Concierto” and “Sebago” Nash plays
alto sax with a beauty of tone that I have not heard in
many moons. Bonin’s violin work is also simply gorgeous.
Her contributions to Odeon are many, particularly considering
her interest in all kind of music from around the world.
On “Tico Tico” Nash displays his considerable
abilities on clarinet to great effect. The original title
track has an Astor Piazzolla-like feel and features Schimmel’s
accordian work prominently. Rodriguez’s “Concierto”
is given a nice reading, particularly the Allegro section.
Even the thoroughly familiar Adagio section benefits from
the vastly different texture presented by the unusual instrumentation.
Nash closes the CD with an original composition,
“Walk This Way,” that takes a New Orleans street
band second line rhythm as its starting point, adding additional
elements and coloration as it progresses. Bonin plays a
nicely turned solo, and Schimmel uses his accordion to summon
a Cajun feeling. It’s a good bet that there won’t
be many (if any) jazz CDs that sound like La Espada
de la Noche this year, and that’s probably just
how Nash planned it. If you’re looking for something
a bit different that still swings like mad and has a jazz
orientation, give Nash and Odeon a try.
