Rudresh Mahanthappa: Hero Trio
Whirlwind Recordings

Rudresh Mahanthappa, double bassist François Moutin, and drummer Rudy Royston follow 2015's Bird Calls with another trio date, this one dedicated entirely to material by the alto saxist's influences and inspirations. The move's noteworthy, considering that fifteen albums of original material by Mahanthappa as leader or co-leader preceded Hero Trio. With Charlie Parker and John Coltrane seminal to his development, it's fitting that they'd be included, and much the same could be said about Keith Jarrett and Ornette Coleman. Covers of songs by Johnny Cash and Stevie Wonder, on the other hand, come as a refreshing surprise and do much to extend the album's scope. Rounding out the set-list are takes on “I'll Remember April” and “I Can't Get Started,” all nine covers tackled by the trio with conviction.

As listeners acquainted with his playing are aware, the alto titan's no minimalist. A veritable torrent of notes pours forth in dazzling arrays, Mahanthappa like a boxer salivating at the prospect of stepping into the ring; a cutting contest with this ever-voluble player is something only the most fearless rival would consider. Yet as impressive as he is technically, the recording shows his playing isn't without soul or swing. To their credit, Moutin and Royston prove themselves up to the considerable challenge of playing with a saxist of such formidable ability. The three are exceptionally locked-in from the start, their connectedness explained in part by their long association: the saxist and drummer actually grew up together in the Boulder/Denver area and, after playing in a band in the early ‘90s, reunited when Royston moved to New York City a decade ago; Mahanthappa met Moutin in 1997 and has played with him on and off ever since.

Bird looms large in Mahanthappa's world, not only on Hero Trio but in general. Hearing Parker's Savoy sessions recordings proved pivotal to his development, and the outfit he co-leads with drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, Fly Higher, was created to celebrate Parker's centennial. The aforementioned Bird Calls features Mahanthappa originals inspired by Parker, and the fact that Hero Trio's bookended by Bird tunes is hardly accidental. At album's start, a searing treatment of “Red Cross” features endlessly inventive explorations by the altoist and his bandmates attending closely to the arrangement's many twists. The leader digs into the familiar bebop theme with abandon, the melody driving the tune before the saxist lunges into the first of many high-wire solos.

Executed in an arrangement by pianist Danilo Perez, Wonder's 1985 hit “Overjoyed” is given a buoyant, soulful reading by Mahanthappa, the saxist again maximizing the singing quality of the original's melodies. The tune provides a rich well-spring of possibilities for the leader, as evidenced by the light-speed fluidity of the solo that follows the thematic statement. Mahanthappa's take on Cash's “Ring of Fire” recasts the tune as a romping shuffle, the treatment affectionate and original. The saxist digs into the sing-song melody with delight, his riffing gliding over the bounce his partners fashion for him.

Indicative of the modern sensibility that sometimes colours the performances, “Barbados/26-2,” a conflation of Parker and Coltrane pieces, receives a slinky treatment that's more M-Base than bebop; a volcanic rendering of “I'll Remember April” likewise revitalizes a long-standing classic with a contemporary feel. Jarrett's radiant “The Windup” is tailor-made for the trio, who give the tune (from the 1974 ECM album Belonging, the first by the pianist's so-called ‘European Quartet') an exuberant run-through. Whereas most of the performances teem with energy, “I Can't Get Started” receives a lugubrious reading that renders it a mournful dirge, and with Moutin's arco playing accompanying the leader's empathetic voicing of trademark Coleman melodies, “Sadness” likewise opts for a ballad pace.

Referring to the artists whose material appears on Hero Trio, Mahanthappa states, “My goal in performing their work is to convey the timeless nature of their indelible impact through a contemporary lens.” Said goal is most assuredly accomplished.

July 2020