Steve Hirsh: Out on a Limb

SOUL CITY 0020 (RECORDED APRIL 2023)

Seems like “freedom” is the new buzz word for politicians these days. Yet, forward-thinking jazz musicians have been talking and playing about freedom since the music’s inception. One of the latest examples of that freedom is the collective featured on Out on a Limb — drummer Steve Hirsh, bassist William Parker, trombonist Steve Swell and saxophonist Jim Clouse. These musicians have dedicated their careers to advancing the concept of what it means to be free or as drummer Hirsh would say, to be “freed.” Freed from strict time signatures, chord changes and form, the collective plays a game of follow the leader with the leadership constantly in flux throughout three extended improvisations. At times, Swell and Clouse lead the way with their telepathic approach to creating intersecting and innovative lines. They come together, with Swell throwing out jabs and slurs as Clouse (who also recorded the session at his Park West Studio), responds with Coltrane-like flourishes. Other times they become the soloists working in various combinations with Hirsh, Parker or both. Hirsh can take charge of the collective with his sublime ability to shift moods as he reacts to others while they react to him. On more than one occasion, he demonstrates his sensitivity and sensibility to drop out of the ensemble, providing ample space for the others to explore the sonics on their own. Yet, he always manages to come back to the group at just the right moment. Parker’s strong bass lines ebb and flow, often landing on a strong beat to spur the collective forward. The music of Hirsh, Parker, Swell and Clouse define freedom — the quality or state of being free, such as: the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action. These musician are truly among the freedom fighters for a music that has always been about expressing your own thoughts in your own way. Let freedom ring!

BOTTOM LINE: The cover of Out on a Limb describes the music to a T. Abstract. Multi-faceted. Colorful. Structured. Free flowing. Textured. Expressive. Challenging. Thought-provoking. Whether it’s visual or musical, those terms define the essence of compelling pieces of art, of which this recording is one.