William Parker is widely considered one of the most significant bassists in jazz from the ’70s on because in addition to being a composer and interpreter of limitless scope, he can swing, he can groove and he can avant-garde (is that a verb?). But Parker can rock, too, and if we weren’t too sure about that before, the upcoming Mayan Space Station dispels all doubts.
The foundations formed by bassist and drummer Gerald Cleaver are well beyond what most bassists and drummers settle for. Dig deep into these rhythms and you’ll discover there’s no only connections to psychedelic rock of the 60s and the brash fusion of the early ’70s but Western African rhythms, most apparent on the title track. And in spite of the scholarly knowledge that probably went into constructing these grooves, it’s delivered in such a loose and offhanded way.
Electric guitarist Ava Mendoza proves to be the perfect complement to that Parker/Cleaver rhythm section; very blues-drenched, steeped in rock bombast and also very rhythmically aware. Parker wrote all the songs, and he arranged them such that his bass carries the responsibility for the melodic component of the tunes, leaving Mendoza to offer up harmonic counterpoints and just roam around and jam.
The common thread in all Parker songs are their deep spirituality and the trio goes particularly deeps for the fancifully floating “Canyons of Lights,” where the leader saws his way through a haze set up by Cleaver’s clouds of cymbals. Mendoza rises up and engages with Parker, meeting him at the ending peak him on the same, acerbic wavelength. “The Wall Tumbles Down” actually does swing to start, and Mendoza’s chiming, resonating notes takes on the role of a vibraphone. Eventually, the swing turns into a sort of backbeat and Mendoza’s soaring axe takes on some aspect of surf guitar. The siren-like squalls amid Parkers bows as Cleaver recedes resembles the breakdown section of “Helter Skelter,” a nod to the untethered passion of late-60s rock.
Here’s yet another facet of the multi-dimensional artistry of William Parker. The first listens will surprise, and later listens will uncover that the same man who brought us O’Neal’s Porch and I Plan to Stay a Believer: The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield can absolutely be the brainchild behind Mayan Space Station.
Mayan Space Station is set to drop on July 23, 2021 from AUM Fidelity.
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