PAPATAMUS REDUX

PORTA JAZZ (RELEASED SEPTEMBER 2024)

Wabi-sabi is a traditional Japanese aesthetic worldview based on four principles.
One of those principles states that through acceptance, one finds freedom. So, it’s not surprising that freedom is an essential element of Wabi-Sabi, a recording that advances the “free jazz” of Ornette Coleman’s classic 1959 The Shape of Jazz to Come album. The band members gladly accept the diverse musical ideas of Portugeese trumpeter Goncalo Marques, California-born saxophonist John O’Gallagher, Argentinian bassist Demian Cabaud and Ohio-born drummer Jeff Williams, as they navigate the twists and turns of seven original compositions.  Much like another principle of wabi-sabi — that all things in life are in an imperfect state of flux —  Cabaud and Williams create a constantly shifting palette of rhythms on which Marques and O’Gallagher can explore the compositions whether they are playing in unison, conversing with one another or going their separate ways. Appreciating the beauty in all things is the third principle of wabi-sabi, and there is nothing more beautiful than the sinewy solos of O’Gallagher, the reflective-to-explosive range of Marques, the bowing of Cabaud on “Reza” and “Viena fin de sciecle” and the sensitivity of Williams’s cymbal hits on the opening of “GM.” Lastly, wabi-sabi states that simple is the only way to feel the joy of what it means to be alive. The compositions on Wabi-Sabi, like the opening prayer-like “Antipoda,” are simple melodies joyfully executed by a quartet that expresses the principles of wasi-sabi in musical terms. It all adds up to a must have albums for fans of post Coleman piano-less quartets.

BOTTOM LINE:  If I had not already submitted my top ten releases for 2024 to Cadence Magazine, Wabi-Sabi would certainly go to the top of that list. The Marques-Cabaud Quartet expands on the surprising sounds of Coleman’s piano-less quartet in a session packed with fresh compositions, inspired solos and unique arrangements.