Misha Mullov-Abbado: Dream Circus
Edition Records
I haven't checked Downbeat's latest ‘Talent Deserving of Wider Recognition' poll listing, but if Misha Mullov-Abbado's name isn't on it, it should be, and positioned highly at that. Which is not to suggest that the London-based double bassist hasn't received a decent amount of attention; it's more that he should be better known internationally than he is. Arguing strongly for that is his latest album, Dream Circus, which presents the son of conductor Claudio Abbado and violinist Viktoria Mullova as a triple threat: a rock-solid bassist, yes, but impressive as both arranger and composer too. As superb as his previous album, Cross Platform-Interchange, is, the new one is may be even better.
Aiding the bassist considerably in his cause is the stellar sextet featured on the date. Six pieces seems exactly the right number: saxophonists Matthew Herd (alto) and Sam Rapley (tenor) and trumpeter/flugelhornist James Davison provide a dynamic, versatile front-line, and the leader, pianist Liam Dunachie, and drummer Scott Chapman power the material with high energy. Mullov-Abbado's compositions are melodically rich and imaginatively structured, and the band's sound warm and euphonious. Space for soloing is present but integrated thoughtfully into the performances. Certainly no will mistake Dream Circus for a Carla Bley Band recording, yet the bassist dedicates a similar degree of care to his writing and arrangements as she does her own.
While the leader introduces the album with an unaccompanied solo on “Some Things Are Just So Simple,” he cedes much of the spotlight to the horns when the focus isn't on ensemble playing. That effervescent opener attests to the high calibre of writing and performing displayed throughout the sixty-six-minute recording, especially when all involved commit fervently to the material. Though Rapley elevates the tune with a soaring, full-throated solo, the tune stands out as much for singing melodies voiced by Herd and Davison and the fire stoked by the rhythm section.
Staccato horn accents inaugurate “The Infamous Grouse,” after which the tune takes flight with a muscular swing that's as indebted to R&B and funk as Latin. The ballad setting “Stillness” naturally showcases the ensemble's gentler and romantic sides, the latter evidenced in particular by the horns' sultry expressions. Whereas “The Bear” exudes a brooding tone, playfulness permeates “Little Astronaut,” its circus-like whimsy sounding like something Nina Rota might have written for Fellini's Amarcord. Mullov-Abbado is perhaps at his most ambitious with “Seven Colours,” a twelve-minute excursion whose structure's flexible enough to accommodate wailing individual turns and a generally free-flowing character.
The lithe, acrobatic runs of the front-liners elevate the performances, and with three robust horns at his disposal, the bassist is able to maximize polyphony in his arrangements. It's arguably too early in his career to suggest, as Editions Records does in text promoting the release, that Dream Circus is “career-defining.” In no way, however, is it a stretch to call it an exemplary presentation of Mullov-Abbado's abilities as a player, writer, and arranger.July 2020