The Lucien Dubuis Trio and Marc Ribot – Ultime Cosmos (2009)

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Ultime Cosmos was not serious. At least, not serious in that We’re Wearing Nice Suits, We’re Going To Play Jazz kind of way. Heck, this wasn’t even jazz, not in spirit anyway. A quick read of the instrumental lineup would definitely make a person think ‘jazz’ — contrabass clarinet, guitar, bass, drums — but the record had more of a rock/funk spirit.

I can imagine Stanley Crouch turning up his nose. That’s a good thing.

Though Dubuis did switch over to alto here and there (check out the totally unhinged “Insomnie”), it was basically the contrabass clarinet doing most of the duty, and that’s also a good thing, because it’s a fun and naughty instrument and a perfect foil to Ribot’s guitar. Besides, that instrument’s blurty lower register is freaking hilarious! The men traded off rhythm and lead roles as the melodic content splatters, divebombs and just plain misbehaves. The music was loud and unruly and flailed its way through rock, surf, and jazz that leaned heavily on the funk. Oh man, how I needed this.

The other morning, I was trying to tamp down some rising negative energy, and thought that maybe some breathing exercises might be in order. Just concentrate on the entrance and the exit … the mind will seek calm.

Instead, I popped this disc in and torched those thoughts away. Look and listen, and see if I made the right choice. On the trailer for the accompanying DVD, Dubuis mimics the squealing of the garbage truck, and then the band launches into “Ultime Cosmos.”

Screw mindfulness, let’s dance!

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Mark Saleski