feature photo by Christopher Andrews
As a bass clarinetist involved with both the traditional and avant-garde sides of jazz, Jason Stein mostly keeps things unplugged. But recently, he launched the Hearts and Minds trio project with keyboardist Paul Giallorenzo to explore vistas of jazz and improvised music opened up with the help of electronic sounds. That led to the ensemble’s self-titled debut record in 2016, which we lauded for “the veering, unconfining nature of the performances that places the music in the vanguard.”
At the end of a productive year (13 months, actually) that saw Stein put forth a new Quartet album, a Locksmith Isidore release and an electrifying encounter with Ivo Perelman, he reconvenes with Hearts & Minds for a second helping, Electroradiance.
Frank Rosaly was the drummer the first time around and since departed but fear not, because the equally inventive Chad Taylor is the third equal partner for this collaborative record. Like Stein and Giallorenzo, Taylor comes with Windy City heritage too, and his electro-acoustic résumé is packed with collaborations on numerous Chicago Underground projects, which Hearts & Minds’ approach most closely resembles.
With such an unusual structure come opportunities to implement ideas you couldn’t really pull off in a ‘normal’ trio setting. Thus, Giallorenzo’s left side of the synth keys can replace a bass player’s part, the right side can state the melody, and Taylor and Stein can do pretty much what their vast abilities allow them to do (“Back and Forth”). Giallorenzo can also act as Stein’s front line partner (“Treeline”) and his keyboard sounding like an oboe can make a strange but appealing sound when paired with a bass clarinet…even when it sounds like an extraterrestrial oboe.
On that song and on others — like “Future Told” — Stein’s knack for Lennie Tristano’s advanced bop teachings find a home in this setting, since Taylor and Giallorenzo are sympathetic partners. But Hearts & Minds explores additional avenues as with the funk strut of “Step’n,” which settles comfortably into a swing for parts of Stein’s robust solo. Giallorenzo’s outta space aside on “Future Told” is a treat of its own.
They also careen from the memorable folk melody of “Frencher Frosty’s Book” to the noise-instilled freedom of “Electroradiance” and “Relativistic,” while “Slowly Drifting Outward” has an alternative rock vibe, as Taylor nimbly controls the cadence from behind his kit.
“Slippery Slope” returns back to the bop basics right at the end, and probably the strongest overall performance due to Taylor’s driving rhythms, Stein’s bottomless well of creative expression and Giallorenzo’s intrepid improvisations on an archaic electric piano that call to mind that exciting transition period from advanced modern jazz to fusion in the late 60s.
Electroradiance is currently available from Astral Spirits.
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