PAPATAMUS REDUX

FUNDACJA SLUCHAJ (RELEASED DECEMBER 2024)

Jazz critic Whitney Balliet described jazz as “the sound of surprise.” That surprise could come from the unexpected combination of instruments, the electrifying solos or the out of the blue compositions/arrangements. In the case of Joe Fonda & Bass of Operation, it is all three! Bassist Joe Fonda paired reed player Jeff Lederer, who plays clarinet, flute, piccolo and bass clarinet on this session, with bassoonist Michael Rabinowitz to interact with himself and long-time musical partner, drummer Harvey Sorgen. Although the combination of reed instruments may be unexpected, at times their interaction is reminiscent of the dual reeds of Sam Rivers and Anthony Braxton on Conference of the Birds. Unlike many jazz recordings, however, the solos on Joe Fonda & Bass of Operation come from the ensemble itself. There is a sense of collective improvisation in the arrangements as Lederer swoops and Rabinowitz swoons over the driving bass lines of Fonda and the fluid drumming of Sorgen. “Mosaic,” the longest track (11:16) is the only tune on which each member takes extended individual solos, concluding with a celebratory counterpoint from all members. Fonda’s compositions and arrangements are ideally suited for this chamber-like recital, providing a format for Lederer, Rabinowitz, Sorgen and Fonda to weave their magic through eight distinctly different settings. This includes the rhythm and blues feel of Fonda’s arrangement of David Crosby’s “Déjà Vu for DC,” the boppish sound of “Magic (For Perry Robinson),” the ballad-like setting of “MGJ” and the free and furious “Fast.” Everything comes together — the musicians, the solos and the compositions/arrangements to make Joe Fonda & Bass of Operation a great example of what Whitney Balliet described as “the sound of surprise!

BOTTOM LINE: Joe Fonda boasts that Joe Fonda & Bass of Operation is something you most likely never heard before. He’s right!  From the instrumentation (a clarinet/ flute/piccolo/bass clarinet player and bassoonist, a renowned bassist and master drummer) to the chamber like compositions and arrangements, Joe Fonda & Bass of Operation is a sonic surprise for serious listeners.