Stunning Live Recording From the Billy Bang Quintet

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For more than twenty-five years, Billy Bang and Frank Lowe thrived upon a complementary yin/yang approach to musical expression. In their earliest collaborations, both men burned equally hot from opposite ends of the spectrum; Billy's violin soaring in lines of white-hot intensity; Frank's tenor sax blazing with confrontational abandon. Over the years, each man moved closer to the other's approach, creating a perfectly symbiotic synthesis of artistry, and without diminishing the fire and energy of their shared visions. Justin Time is proud to offer their final recorded performance together, Above & Beyond: An Evening In Grand Rapids.

When this music was recorded in the middle of an extended U.S. tour in 2003, neither Billy nor Frank knew that this would be their final recording together even though Frank had been battling lung cancer for some time. But if they had known, it's highly unlikely that they could have delivered a finer performance. Capturing the powerful quintet at the peak of its powers, this performance resonated deeply with both men long after the tour ended. Its release is the result of a pact that the two men made when Frank was on his deathbed in September of 2003, finally succumbing in his valiant battle. His last wish was for Billy to make sure that this music would become available to the public - a request that Billy was only too happy to accommodate, and one that Jean-Pierre Leduc at Justin Time was equally happy to be able to fulfill.

As with all of their various collaborations on so many of Billy's other projects, the blend of these two extraordinary talents is simply sublime. Frank's early reputation as an unrestrained firebrand had long since been transformed into that of a highly versatile improviser and composer whose playing was multi-faceted and rich in texture and color. His playing on this recording is lyrical, articulate and passionate, evoking the spirit of Rollins, Hawkins, Byas, and the occasional Ayleresque jubilant frenzy. Lowe also contributed Nothing But Love, his personal favorite among his many compositions. With its neatly punctuated and infectiously rhythmic theme, it's a showcase for the tenorman, who delivers a brilliant performance - percussive, kaleidoscopic and seething with subtly emotional force.

The three remarkable Billy Bang compositions that comprise the rest of the album provide ideal landscapes for the intricately woven synergy of the ensemble's extended explorations. In his distinctive style, all of the pieces are highly lyrical, subtly hewn and rich in the wide range of African-evolved and multi-ethnic influences that permeate all of his compositions. At the heart of all of them lies the blues in all its hues - from the playful, jaunty Silent Observation, cooking over a powerfully grooved vamp; to the evocatively moody and subtle exoticism of Dark Silhouette; and culminating in the sharply syncopated rhythms and deliciously melodious groove of At Play in the Fields Of The Lord.

On the improvisational side, Billy's virtuosic, beautifully etched and soulfully singing violin soars passionately in all of his solos, building a palpable tension in telling his intricate and emotion-drenched stories. His angular, spiraling, gut-bluesy solo on Silent Observation; his fiercely articulate and exciting turn on At Play In The Fields Of The Lord; and his simmering tour-de-force excursion on Dark Silhouette, using the full spectrum of options that the instrument provides - all testify to Bang's brilliant virtuosity that never exists for its own sake, but only to enhance the overall design.

Anyone familiar with the more adventurous music in the jazz tradition of the last 30 years of the 20th Century knows that synergy and mutual commitment to the overall essence of the music is absolutely indispensable for its success. With that spirit in sharp focus, the truly outstanding rhythm section of pianist Andrew Bemkey, bassist Todd Nicholson and percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani combines to shape and drive the music to its fullest capacity. The densely lyrical harmonics of Bemkey's powerfully rhythmic comping, the full-bodied and deeply-wooded anchor provided by Nicholson's bass and the relentlessly driving, but extremely musical percussive wizardry of Nakatani create the perfect setting for the adventurous and powerfully stimulating essence of this music. Each man also shines brightly in their solo opportunities. Bemkey delivers a number of powerfully rhythmic and energetic solos. Nicholson offers a resonant arco turn on Silent Observation, and Nakatani's subtle dynamism on Dark Silhouette is truly remarkable.

Live recordings are always a challenge. Besides the sound control issues, the addition of the extra ensemble member, the audience, can enhance the excitement, but sometimes causes the permanence to be lost in the moment. But when all goes right, the results can be extraordinary. That's what happened on this night. The proof is here on full display. Release Date: May 8, 2007

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