Boca Negra

Chad Taylor (drums, vibraphone, electronics) and Rob Mazurek (cornet, electronics) in a new tale of the whole story – of course the legendary »Mu Sessions« of Don Cherry and Ed Blackwell (on BYG) soon comes to mind, but not so much because of the line-up than because the overall atmosphere, material or »direction« sorts of brings it back (I would’nt mention Spaceheads here for example). With this particular team of Chicagoans, under the many groups and combinations they’ve produced already, I always wonder what is the exact approach for what precise message. All the playing is fine but my questions could well be resumed in their interpretation of »Broken Shadows« (Ornette Coleman): Yes it’s a beautiful melody and song, yes they deliver a well balanced mélange of the theme and some fast free blowing around to sustain it, but I once again can’t quite the point it’s making, the road they are going or even the need of it. I can’t still explain the reason for this, but each time I heard them something retro & emptied goes through my mind, like some stills or some Damien Hirst piece. You decide.