Richard Nelson Large Ensemble
Pursuit
Heliotrope Records
Click to hear: “Innocence”
Richard Nelson is a jazz guitarist and professor at the University of Maine in Augusta, where he teaches music theory and jazz composition. On this original work, those credentials shine through. This is a fully fleshed-out jazz album played by an accomplished ensemble that manages to sound original and classic at the same time.
The first five tracks are movements of “Pursuit” played by the 14-piece band called, appropriately, the Richard Nelson Large Ensemble. Nelson says in the liner notes that the composition is his attempt to “honor a quality of child-like innocence … in these over-stimulated, conflict-ridden times.” But anyone who’s stood in a playground filled with kids knows that’s not a mellow scene, and the piece reflects that rambunctiousness.
The horns play the leading roles, oscillating around each other in a supportive dance, rather than a competition for dominance. When the instruments do come together for concerted themes, the drums and bass take the biggest parts, marking the parameters of the sonic shape the band is filling.
The second movement, “Innocence,” which features drummer Steve Grover, invokes the process of exploring the limits of reality. The halting melody mirrors the halting steps of a toddler lumbering through the world, unsure of his own weight and physics.
The grooves the album gets on are much more accessible and keep the dynamic jumping. The sections of African jazz include some inspired hand-clapping.
The final two tracks are much tamer recordings performed by a boiled-down, quintet version of the ensemble. They stretch in a more meditative direction, but the quality carries through, proving that Nelson has the right musical pals to call on as needed.
Pursuit isn’t going to blow any minds, and that’s OK. This is an enjoyable jazz record with a few tasty surprises, built by locals to be heard by locals. I expect it’ll be required listening for students in his seminars. Lucky them.
— Anders Nielsen
The Richard Nelson Imaginary Ensemble plays Fri., June 10, at Woodfords Congregational Church, 202 Woodford St., Portland, at 8 p.m. Tix: $10-$15 (all ages). 828-1310. For more on Nelson, visit richardnelsonmusic.com.
