There have been, for me, a handful of artists who have made an exceptional impression on first hearings: Billie Holiday (around 1955), Ornette Coleman (in 1958), and Roland Kirk (around 1959) come easily to mind. More recently, Adam Lane in 1998. The occasion with Adam Lane (1968, Brooklyn, NY) was when he sent me a tape of his work. Here was an artist (a conceptualizer, composer, orchestrator) I’d never heard of (and who, up to that time, had never had any recordings either as a leader or sideman) presenting music fully formed, powerful and inspiring. That material eventually was issued on Cadence Jazz Records (#1104) as Hollywood Wedding. His next recording, Full Throttle Orchestra (Cadence Jazz Records 1133) was artistically developmental and equal to the standard of the first. And on the basis of these recordings, I offered a standing invitation to Adam to do a CIMP session. My only suggestion was that it be a smaller group where listeners might get a clearer listen to his bass playing. At this time I really had no clear indication of his instrumental abilities, though in 2001 sax man Jim Ryan sent me a tape of his own small group which included Adam’s bass and, again, I was impressed, this time by Adams’ instrumental abilities.
Eventually Adam worked out the group you hear on this recording. The group made its public debut on June 18 and the next morning Adam emailed me, enthusiastically stating “it was absolutely, completely without exaggeration, an unbelievably, overwhelming, outrageously musical evening…” Well, I expect the leader to be enthused, even perhaps hyperbolic, but when Barry Altschul (1943, NYC, NY) called me about an hour later and volunteered his own enthusiasm, I took it as affirmation.
Both John Tchicai (1936, Copenhagen, Denmark) and Paul Smoker (1941, Muncie, IN) were returning to The Spirit Room from the week previous when they had been involved in a PoBand recording (CIMP 262). John had worked with Adam a number of times on the West Coast and was the first to endorse Adam’s work by being part of this gathering. And Paul, who had only seen/heard Adam’s music secondhand, had expressed confidence in his abilities. To the extent that I have known or dealt with John, Barry, and Paul, they have never given me the impression that they have much patience for fools or pretenders. I had been looking forward to working with Adam directly for over 2 years and, as the quartet was beginning to get the sound check together, I was psyched.
After a somewhat extended sound check, much of it trying to achieve a balance, but separation, between the two horns, we finally got underway at 8 p.m., opening with It happened to us naturally. The dense, rhythmically propulsive music that had become familiar to me from his 2 previous recordings, as part of Adam’s signature sound, quickly filled all corners of The Spirit Room. A leader among other leaders yet a junior among giants, Adam uses the openings to showcase not only his music but his solo prowess as well. Good sounds that sound good but, just to be sure everything was set, there was strong interest in hearing the playback. Barry was keen to hear the drums; Paul stood at attention in front of the speakers with his usual analytical attention; Adam went to the far wall and sat cross-legged on the floor, immersed in the whole; John moved in to the kitchen where perhaps a chocolate cream cheese cake beckoned. It is substantial music and very real, as is Intonations for Being which followed; the fullness of the music is intoxicating. And check out John’s deceptively powerful solo indirectly delivered with a marksman’s precision – it’s an elevating knockout statement.
Also logged in that evening was Without Being and, again, the open and orchestral plane of Adam’s music is in evidence. This gave occasion for yet another intricate organic solo from John Tchicai, nicely ground into by Paul before segueing into a trumpet solo, and then a meditative bass solo, all
nicely floated by Barry’s attentive percussion work. All the parts made sense in what became a kind of
celebratory dirge.
Through the night the group made good use of the time. We ended without exhaustion and were off to bed while still in the p.m. Reassembled in the a.m., I can’t say the group approached the music with renewed vigor, more a case of sustaining the vigor of the night before which resulted in a fine outing on House of Elegant, sporting a nice solo from Barry who, moments earlier, had complained of cold hands.
Tunes and good takes mounted up and we quickly had this exceptional concert that you now have. Barry said, “This is a one-take band,” and, for the most part over those two days, it was indeed.
Robert D. Rusch – January 22, 2002
