Semiterritory
Ears & Eyes, 2022
8/10
The Chicago artist Ben Zucker brings his vibraphone and songwriting skills to these very unconventional 5 tracks, where he’s accompanied by Mabel Kwan (piano), Andrew Scott Young (double bass) and Adam Shead (drums) for a listen that focuses much on flow and momentum.
“Question To Repair” opens the record with wild piano, atmospheric vibes and acrobatic drumming in the very adventurous free jazz landscape, and “Counterproductives” follows with an initially bare delivery that builds into stunning bass lines amid the playful vibes in a charming, nearly cinematic demeanor.
“Orbiting Betweens” occupies the middle spot, and it spends 13+ minutes mesmerizing us with its bright textures and low, rumbling moments of mystery, while “Ex-Topos” is quite heavy on mood, and possesses much ambience before shifting to a scrappy, jazz influenced album highlight. The final track, “Myriadic”, is both drenched in beauty and warmth, where all the musicians blend their respective strengths dynamically.
Yet another unclassifiable and energetic listen from Zucker and company, the presence of improvisation as real time compositions and the willingness to allow the players to explore in ways that touch on chamber and experimental nods helps make for a very memorable body of work.
Travels well with: James Gilmore- Decorating Time; Lauren Lee- Queen Of Cups