Darts and Arrows - Eyes of the Carnival
Generally, when I think of music coming from Chicago these days, I never fail to pick up the latest Vandermark and Fred Lonberg-Holm releases, and I definitely try to keep up on the slightly younger crew that may include Keefe Jackson, Jason Stein, Josh Berman, Frank Rosaly, Mike Reed, Dave Rempis and others. Darts and Arrows stands out against this crowd for what they are not. Their second album, Eyes of the Carnival, is definitely not free improvisation, not an abstraction of late 60s modal jazz, not a marriage of chamber composition and jazz. Folk and rock forms and melodies act as centerpieces for the group. On top of those structures, a jazz combo is placed.
Opener “Ivy” comes in midstream, running through a mix of late 60s psych and fusion. The piece, penned by guitarist and band leader Bill MacKay, is short and sweet, split into two main melodic statements that only provide glimpses of improvised transitions. It is a nice warm-up for the tunes that follow.
“Outcry” follows with a slippery melody that runs into a crunchy rock section. A restatement of the two sections happens before guitar and keys overlap in a succession of rhythmic, modal solos that veer on and away from the beat. The warm fuzz of the guitar and keys mixed with a jazz combo lineup masks the folk roots that are at work in the compositions. Hints of Pentangle creep in, maybe Richard Thompson. On the jazz side, the guitar playing of John Abercrombie seems an appropriate reference.
Keyboardist Ben Boye, who has worked with Bonnie “Prince” Billy among others, contributes the ballad “Frequent Vacation”. A succulent solo by MacKay is followed by Boye’s solo, which may at times be too choppy for it’s own good. Melody seeps back in and the song fades to a close. Very nice piece.
Elsewhere, “Slipping Through My Fingers” has a Latin tinge, recalling an outline of early Return To Forever. The arrangement does a nice job of building to the main melodic figure. Closer “Film Music No. 2” follows a gentle folk chord progression, inserting a pleasant bass solo from Kyle Hernandez. MacKay also gets in a nice solo, excelling when rock and folk turns are more appropriate.
The quartet’s biggest asset is the sense of melody and the adaptation of folk elements into the jazz setting. The album invites humming along after a few listens. The playing never veers toward a virtuosic approach, nor is the soloing especially inspired, but the pieces hit more emotional strings than some of their contemporaries. Whether that is from the familiarity inherent in the folk music roots or the emotionally manipulating qualities of tried and true majestic chord structures seems to matter not. The intimacy provided by the warm recording and group playing is enough to make this a welcoming listen.
Check out album opener "Ivy" here: http://soundcloud.com/billdmackay/ivy-2/s-mLsxt
Notes:
This album will be released sometime this Spring (2012), so be sure to keep an ear out.
Check out more Darts and Arrows and Bill MacKay on the web:
http://dartsarrows.blogspot.com/
http://billmackay.bandcamp.com/
