By Brook Geiken

Two standout releases showcase adventurous composition, tight ensemble interplay, and the next wave of trumpet-driven jazz.

Elephant, Adam O’Farrill (Out Of Your Head Records)

The Flame Beneath The Silence, Dave Adewumi (Giant Step Arts Non-Profit)

Riding high off the glowing reviews of last year’s album For These Streets, trumpeter Adam O’Farrill has issued another recording, this time with a pared-down ensemble called Elephant. O’Farrill and cohorts— Yvonne Rogers on keyboards, Walter Stinson on acoustic bass, and Russell Holzman on drums— play with a kind of youthful abandon on nine diverse tracks.  All of the compositions reflect O’Farrill’s unceasing search for new musical avenues of expression.

Before going any further, I must point out that O’Farrill uses the echo effect on the trumpet throughout the recording, which, at least to me, can become annoying. That said, electronic devices can enhance the music if used in imaginative ways.  Such is the case with Elephant:  O’Farrill avoids the clichéd reflex of modern trumpeters who are so in love with the echo they overuse it.  Instead, the trumpet sounds created by the device here serve the music —  rather than creating an unnecessary distraction.

“Curves and Convolutions” supplies some lovely florid passages before it becomes an earnestly vibrant opening track.  Water, and its various permutations, are the subjects of the next three tunes. By way of thoughtful repetition, the band complements O’Farrill’s growls and grunts, which are expertly placed on “Sea Triptych Pt. 1 Along The Malecón”. (The Malecón is the sea wall in Havana, Cuba where O’Farrill’s grandfather Chico once walked)  “Sea Triptych Pt. 2 The Three Of Us Floating” takes up right where the previous cut left off, maintaining a rewarding continuity. A literary reference arrives with  “Sea Triptych Pt. 3 Iris Murdoch” (the British novelist and philosopher wrote a novel titled The Sea, The Sea). The trio of Rogers, Stinson, and Holzman perform until O’Farrill enters in the middle of the piece, his sputtering trumpet signifying the end of the “Sea Triptych.”

The minimalist and funky “Eleanor’s Dance” succeeds on two levels — a musically intricate sound fused with an eminently danceable beat.  Then comes a gem that shows off the band’s many musical gifts, “Herkimer  Diamond.”  The electric piano in Rogers’ agile hands, the skittering bass of Stinson, and the crisp drumming of Holzman blend together irresistibly here.  I thought I knew what the next tune would bring, but O’Farrill and company threw me for a loop with “The Return.” The most forward-looking song on the album bristles, sighs, and careens in several different directions at once. Holzman and O’Farrill engage in a brilliant duet about midway through; it is a memorably passionate interchange.

The last two selections, “Thank You Song” and “Bibo No Aozora” contain a number of virtures  Holzman’s drumming on “Thank You Song” moves along at a relentless pace, its determination reminiscent of a locomotive going down the tracks.  The Ryuichi Sakamoto composed “Bibo No Aozora” (Beautiful Blue Sky) travels along until the band reaches a point when it transforms into a straight jazz four-four section. There is even a hint of a ballad-like structure to the proceedings.

I rarely review an album in which I mention all of the tracks, but Elephant is that rare exception. All four musicians work so well together that entire album succeeds as integrated whole. With this band, O’Farrill can go in any direction he chooses, and that makes Elephant a must-listen for anyone who is interested in where the avant-garde is headed.

Trumpeter Dave Adewumi mesmerizes with his stunning debut album, The Flame Beneath The Silence. Aided by the stellar work of Linda May Han Oh on acoustic bass, Marcus Gilmore on drums, and Joel Ross on vibes, Adewumi takes the listener on a journey through his very fertile musical imagination. In this live recording session at Ornithology in Brooklyn, Adewumi and company were exhilaratingly inspired. Even more remarkable — Adewumi is not yet thirty years old, but he plays with the creative assurance of a much older musician.

The title tune, “The Flame Beneath The Silence,” begins somberly via an unusual trio: Gilmore, Adewumi, and May Han Oh.  Immediately, Adewumi lets us know he will be attacking the horn in a way that departs from the strategy of most trumpeters: he employs bleats and slurred notes.  Ross joins the group for the track “Is,” filling in the quartet with another distinctly compelling voice.  The strikingly burnished tone of Adewumi’s trumpet on “Abandon” blends well with the arco bass of May Han Oh. On the very next track, “Breach The Gap” Gilmore launches into a more up-tempo groove, where he is accompanied by the long sustained lines of Adewumi.

Other notable tracks include “The Vine,” “Out Cry,” “If I Need To Do This Again I’m Going To Throw A Fit,” and “The Light You Left Behind.” The jaunty melody contained in “The Vine” get a lively vibes solo and just the right amount of trumpet squeals.  Adewumi and Ross return to perform an exceedingly short, but sweet, duet on “Out Cry.” The award for the most outstanding name for a composition this year goes to “If I Need To Do This Again I’m Going To Throw A Fit” —  it turns out to be the most avant-garde cut on the album. May Han Oh solos with fervor, while Adewumi revels in some long sustained squeezed notes. Gilmore starts off with the brushes and this predictably softens the texture of “The Light You Left Behind,” a vehicle for Adewumi’s pretty timbre.

The music on The Flame Beneath The Silence introduces the listener to a fine composer and astute bandleader.  Conversant in straight-ahead jazz and the “new thing” from the early ’60s, Adewumi performs with delightfully controlled abandon. The shimmering textures of Ross’s vibes, the forceful pulse of May Han Oh, and the sublime underpinnings of Gilmore support his compositions with steely strength.  The Flame Beneath The Silence is, without a doubt, the most exciting debut recording of the year.

Brooks Geiken is a retired Spanish teacher with a lifelong interest in music, specifically Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and Black American music. His wife thinks he should write a book titled The White Dude’s Guide to Afro-Cuban and Jazz Music. Brooks lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.