David S Ware and Roscoe Mitchell
6 February 1999
A rare opportunity to see Ware in the UK, this gig was clearly
something of a must-see for Londoners, at least, and the hall was
gratifyingly packed, leaving the guy who announced the musicians to
say that this would scotch a few myths about there being no audience
for free jazz in London. Quite right, although Ware is not a
well-known player over here, partly due to a lack of live
appearances (talk about Catch 22) and this writer was surprised to
see nearly every seat occupied, the QEH being a pretty large venue.
The gig was divided into three sets, the first of which was a
duet between Mitchell and regular Ware pianist Matthew Shipp. Shipp
is an interesting player, using very dramatic dynamics to take his
really quite simple style – an amalgam of jazzy blues and atonal
clusters – to some sophisticated places. The first of the two
pieces they played was beautiful, a quiet, subtly shifting
improvisation pitching Mitchell’s long alto tones against the
pianist’s brave use of texture. Shipp has matured enormously and
he is now a very sensitive accompanist, contributing plenty of ideas
but never coming across as domineering. Whether he could cut it yet
in a solo setting I’m not so sure.
The second piece they played was less successful. Mitchell began
on flute, which was fine although he had trouble finding his feet,
and when he switched briefly to piccolo his tone was too thin to
carry his ideas across. Restless enough already, he stuck to soprano
sax for the rest of the piece, and while his playing was technically
accomplished, and in places very intelligent, it did have a tendency
to descend into noodles. Always a treat to hear any of the Art
Ensemble members in a different setting, but one gets the impression
this duo might have played better given more room to manoeuvre.
Instead, time marched on. The second set was the main attraction:
Ware’s quartet with Shipp, William Parker (bass) and Suzie Ibarra
(drums). Parker is well-known and well-loved in Europe, and he
didn’t disappoint, kicking off each of their tunes with muscular,
hard-boppish lines and taking the most abstract solos out of anyone
there – scratching, screaming and rattling his way through his
space and demonstrating the close links between free jazz and the
European improvising tradition. Ibarra is less well-known, and
acquitted herself marvellously. She plays a flexible, hard-hitting,
ride-cymbal-driven rhythm for the most part, but she’s full of
suprises and only the production of handfuls of bells (always a
danger in this kind of music) was cause for alarm. She’s a young
player with plenty of time to develop, but already her overall
approach to the kit is sounding distinctive. Like Shipp and Parker,
she’s full of ideas when comping, too; Ware obviously likes a
lively, active contribution from his side-players.
Ware’s compositions are simple things, rather like what Pharoah
Sanders was writing in the very early ‘70s, blowing vehicles more
than anything else (notwithstanding something in 10/8, which they
took a much more conservative approach to that the straighter
numbers). Harmonically, he’s basically working with vamps and an
overall bluesy sound, and his approach is bound to put you in mind
of Archie Shepp’s full-blooded tenor. Something of a surprise,
then, compared with what he was doing ten years or so ago –
certainly a mellower affair than the headlong onslaught of some of
his ‘80s work. This isn’t to indulge in any mealy-mouthed
"so, he’s sold out and gone to Columbia" schtick,
though. His playing may have returned to its roots somewhat, but his
voice is still his own and his technical command – sometimes a
cause for concern before – is no longer in doubt.
The third and final set was, superficially, a classic jam session
situation, bringing the Ware quartet together with "special
guest" Mitchell. Actually, it turned out to be the best set of
all, and something which Mitchell and the quartet had clearly
thought about in advance. Mitchell played very smart stuff together
with Ware, not only alternating solos but layering ideas
contrapuntally and genuinely playing together.
Richard Cochrane
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