PAPATAMUS REDUX

BENT RIVER RECORDS  (RELEASED NOVEMBER 7)

Inspired by the geography of her native Western Canada, bassist Aretha Tillotson explores the wide-open spaces and rugged terrain of a pianoless quartet on Kinda Out West. Joined by a group of Canadian musicians — saxophonist Christine Jensen, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and drummer Dave Laing — the quartet explores the musical territory outlined on eight originals. Although the cover might remind you of Sonny Rollins’ Way Out West and the instrumentation might bring the groundbreaking Ornette Coleman Quartet to mind, the music is more like a Canadian version of John Zorn’s original Masada Quartet. Rather than basing tunes on Jewish and Middle Eastern influences, however, Tillotson creates a variety of musical sketches reflective of her personal experiences. The similarity to Masada is most evident on “Cricklewood Lane,” a tune inspired by the often-chaotic neighborhood Tillotson stayed in during a residency in London. Like Zorn and Dave Douglas from those original Masada sessions, Ingrid Jensen’s clarion trumpet and Christine Jensen’s languid alto sax contrast and complement each other as they weave in and out of a range of tunes from free sounding bebop-based tunes such as “Sphere of Influence” and “Sad Junie,” with Tillotson shifting from a strong timekeeper to a front line soloist, to the tender “Lullaby to Those Before,” with its plaintive opening from saxophonist Jensen balanced by trumpeter Jensen, to more Coleman-sounding compositions such as “Jill of All” and “Gaucho Caviar.” The band strikes a more Western Canadian feel on the loping title track and the spacious sounding “35.” Drummer Dave Laing demonstrates the versatility and sensitivity to create the rhythmic momentum ideal for this diversity of musical moods. Kinda Out West is Tillotson’s second release, further demonstrating her exceptional abilities as a inventive bassist, interesting composer and inspiring leader. Kinda Out West proves that great jazz can come from anywhere including the wide-open spaces and rugged terrain of Western Canada. Fans of pianoless quartets ranging from Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker to Ornette Coleman to Masada will want to explore this territory!

BOTTOM LINE:  The cover might remind you of Sonny Rollins’ Way Out West. The instrumentation might conjure up memories of Ornette Coleman’s groundbreaking pianoless quartet. But bassist Aretha Tillotson brings her own spin to this format in a set of eight tunes inspired by her experiences in the wide-open spaces and rugged terrain of Western Canada. She’s in good company with fellow Canadians who understand the territory geographically and musically — Ingrid Jensen, (trumpet), Christine Jensen (alto saxophone) and Dave Laing (drums).