Although Avram Fefer (San Francisco, CA, 1965) has been on the scene since the late 1980s, including an extended stay in France (1990-1995) where he worked with a cross-section of artists from Bobby Few to The Last Poets to Archie Shepp, it wasn't until the Spring of 2000 when I heard a recording of his trio that I remember becoming aware of his work. That recording impressed me to the extent that we issued it on Cadence Jazz Records (#1123). At the same time I suggested that Avram expand the group a bit, by bringing in another strong improvising voice to play off of, and do a CIMP recording. My aim was to keep the tightness of the trio format while giving the music the possibility of a broader reach of exploration. Avram's choice: Steve Swell (Newark, NJ, 1954) a fearless, inventive and gutsy trombonist. Rounding out the quartet are Igal Foni (Tel Aviv, Israel, 1966), the drummer on the earlier trio date, and Wilber Morris (Los Angeles, CA, 1937), a growing ubiquitous presence on today's music scene and a positive asset on many CIMP recordings.
I looked forward to strong chewy music. Other than that, I had no expectations. I began to have some apprehensions as the opening session did not get underway until around 10:30 p.m. after an unusually lengthy sound check which utilized (to the point of irritation) a repeating riff over about 2 hours of getting the recording balance to everyone's satisfaction. However, judging from the first piece, Ripple, it would seem that the extended sound check also served to warm up the group without sapping their mental or physical energies.
Following "Ripple," things flowed unevenly. Someone suggested the group was working out a sugar high, the result of consuming considerable amounts of pie, cookies, and cakes. Ebbs followed peaks and, as we moved into midnight, a consistency and balance between ideas and energy began to coalesce and presented itself on a wide range of moods, from the intense energy of Going Nowhere Fast followed by the soulful ballad improv Lucille's Gemini Dream, notable not just for its musicality but also because it is a particularly evocative and lyrical ballad and, in that, a not-that-common occurrence in free improv.
We finished up the first day's work early in the morning and began recording again around noon the next day. Avram, who had made me a bit apprehensive the night before by being quite adamant about not responding well to early day playing, amazed me with the complexity, energy, and multi-direction of his solo work, extended but also very coherent and cohesive, on this second day. Check out the all-around inspiration on Loss, a piece which Avram prefaced with, "Let's just try it once; see what happens. I don't want to dwell over it." For me it turned out to be an unanticipated gem, the longest piece in the concert. It's time well spent.
They continued to play with little angst while piling up more than a concert's worth of exceptional music. The final piece of this concert is African Interlude, which again reinforces the fact that, besides being an improviser of considerable depth and direction, Avram Fefer is also a composer of some note. His compositions, were they to get enough exposure, could work their way into the book of Jazz standards. Exposure or no exposure, either way this concert does present a standard of excellence.
Robert D. Rusch - 1/12/01
