Genre: Free Jazz
Label: Jazzaway
Quality: MP3 / 320 K
Recording Date: 2005
Size: 126,5 MB

Featuring the core rhythm section from acoustic bassist Eivind Opsvik’s two solo releases, Overseas I and Overseas II, the trio Tone Collector is primarily a collective effort. With tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby and drummer Jeff Davis in tow, Opsvik and company make a formidable group. Recorded live at the Glenn Miller Café in Stockholm, Sweden over two nights, it is an enthralling document of an unfettered trio exploring their more outré side. While Opsvik’s own solo albums traffic in tuneful, carefully written melodies, Tone Collector is the inverse. Sonic exploration takes precedence over pre-written compositional aesthetics and the trio proves they are astute listeners.

From the opening notes of “Never Removed from Box”, one can tell that this is a trio with experience on the bandstand. Quickly dispensing with the timbral experimentation that introduces the piece, the rhythm section launches headlong into a scorching free-bop pulse with Malaby building a turbulent tenor solo that is far more intense and discordant than anything he’s played on Opsvik’s solo records. But this explosive tantrum is quickly brought into perspective by the following cut, written by Opsvik, the mysterious and resonant “Swedish Summer”. With its bowed bass drones and pedal points, the piece rises from barely audible to climactic cry, before subsiding back into the ether. Easily capable of overpowering waves of sound, the trio generally opts for a more balanced approach.

“Waltz” and “Waltz Coda” are excellent examples of the trio’s aesthetic. “Waltz” is written by Jeff Davis, yet the coda is a collective improvisation, of longer duration than the former. The principle piece is a tentative, open exploration of the basic waltz structure, so abstract that the form is barely recognizable. The coda, however, takes inspiration from the written line and slowly ascends, with Opsvik’s arco bass holding the reins while Malaby’s raucous, multiphonic blowing rides atop Davis’ sporadic drum kit thrashings. They gradually build in intensity until the piece becomes a funhouse mirror of itself. While the coda follows the same basic structure and tempo, it is a more fearsome variation, filled with Malaby’s frenzied tenor elucidations and Davis’ punishing, percussive accents, the entire piece anchored by Opsvik’s unwavering root note drone. A beautiful example of controlled freedom, “Waltz Coda” is an album highpoint.

Opsvik’s “Glorious”, a bittersweet melody, is the only other composed song on the album. Malaby improvises with restraint at the beginning of the tune and Davis and Opsvik follow suit. Without ever aping the master, the trio builds to late-Coltrane like intensity, but stops short of taking the tune into melodically strident territory, easing it back down to its more gentle beginnings for the finale.

Opsvik uses his bow to enrich the density of the trio more so than on his solo albums, which featured a large rotating cast of characters. On Opsvik’s albums Malaby is a more restrained and thoughtful soloist; here he is a journeyman in exploratory sound. Jeff Davis is a perfect match for Opsvik, never overplaying, but able to dole out thundering intensity when the moment requires. Without falling into the predictable game of cat and mouse, these three are capable of a varied and inspired set of improvisational call and response. A recommendable document from an up and coming group of musicians, Tone Collector is the sort of creative improvised music that stands out in the crowd. — by Troy Collins, onefinalnote

Tony Malaby — tenor saxophone
Eivind Opsvik — upright bass
Jeff Davis — drums Tone

1 Never Removed From Box 12:46
2 Swedish Summer 5:14
3 Matchbox 3:48
4 Waltz 5:23
5 Waltz Coda 7:02
6 Glorious 6:42
7 Shelf/Regular Model 3:09
8 Mint No Box 12:00
Recorded live at the Glenn Miller Café in Stockholm, Sweden on August 16th and 17th, 2004.

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