Saxophonist Fred Anderson was among the first of a new breed of jazz iconoclasts more than 30 years ago, freeing the music from the tyranny of be-bop chord changes in pursuit of a new sound.
Anderson’s search has not abated, as was made clear Thursday at Lounge Ax. The stellar bill included two inheritors of Anderson’s vision-the NRG Ensemble and the Ken Vandermark Quartet-who raised the ante considerably with inspired sets.
But the saxophonist more than met the challenge. Hunched over the instrument, a kafis giving him an almost regal presence, Anderson and trumpeter Billy Brimfield opened “Another Place” with languid, slightly sour harmonies, before trading long, exploratory solos. Drummer Eddie Ajaramu and bassist Louis Varro spurred on the soloists with rolling, rumbling rhythms that suggested a schooner cutting through stormy seas.
Even on a ballad such as “Wandering,” the quartet seethed with restless energy. There was an air of agitation, of questions unresolved, and the saxophonist’s epic solos were less about technical expertise-though this was hardly a shortcoming-than about an outpouring of emotion.
Whereas Anderson’s compositions are essentially vehicles for extended improvisation, the work of Vandermark’s quartet is more tightly scripted, with ensemble passages sandwiching ferocious solos by the leader on reeds and Daniel Scanlan on guitar, violin, cornet and the kitchen sink. All four band members write, and the multitextured music was beautifully framed by drummer Michael Zerang, who combined the effortless, floating swing of Ed Blackwell with the wit of Jim Keltner.
Vandermark also plays a critical role in the NRG Ensemble, a quintet founded by avant-gardist Hal Russell. When Russell died in 1992 at age 66, the enormity of his achievement was just starting to become internationally appreciated. His longtime collaborators, roughly half his age, vowed to carry on, and though Russell’s witty composing and multi-instrumental dexterity can never be replaced, NRG still has a lot to offer.
Performing mostly new material, the quintet retains some of Russell’s sense of wonder and adventure, and in Vandermark it has a soloist who can spur saxophonist Mars Williams to extravagant heights. Emboldened by Steve Hunt’s incendiary drumming and double bass patterns by Kent Kessler and Brian Sandstrom, Williams emerged as the volcanic core of NRG, a long way from his days as a side man with the Psychedelic Furs. On “Punch and Judy,” he built to a boil, finishing off one passage with an extended squeal that evoked a whistling teapot.
On Russell’s “Calling All Mothers,” Williams and Vandermark traded increasingly brief but manic sax bursts, their compact intensity turning the music into a dizzying swirl. At such moments, the promise of the post-bop revolution was fully realized.
