diptych (noun): Any work made up of two parts treating complementary or contrasting aspects of one general topic.
Lina Allemano is a trumpet player who has always possessed an adventurous, experimental streak throughout her various ensembles. For her main band the all-acoustic Lina Allemano Four, Allemano often leans on her compositional prowess to open up fresh new vistas for advancing jazz. Last time, it was an excursion into chamber music with suites and through-composed pieces. For their eighth offering The Diptychs (Lumo Records), it’s a presentation of three pairs of related compositions, or ‘diptychs.’ A shorthand way of looking at this is as a collection of two-part suites.
But one thing isn’t different: the Lina Allemano Four is Allemano ably backed by Brodie West on alto sax, Andrew Downing on double bass and Nick Fraser on drums. And the lack of a chordal instrument creates opportunities to this group, not obstacles.
To fully take in one song, you have to also listen to its counterpart song; that’s by design. “Positive” by itself could be seen as a return to the standard LA4 modern/avant garde jazz approach, which is not a bad thing to behold. Allemano and West have an excellent rapport, after all. “Negative” provides the perfect contrast to the perky, kinetic “Positive,” a brooding, ruminative piece paced by Downing’s arco bass.
“Resist” take on a militant tone that gradually diffuses, while “Coalesce” exhibits some unusual, inventive interplay, like Downing’s sawed bass combining with Fraser’s brushed drums for a spiky undercurrent.
“Scrambled” goes as such, a scattered, almost free-form piece but the tight group interaction stays well-maintained throughout. “Over Easy” delivers features for Fraser and then Downing, who sets off an extended murmur with the horns. At last, the song kicks into gear, outlined by the heated synchronous soloing between Allemano and West that’s a hallmark for this band. On that high point, the program ends.
The Diptychs continues the creative toughness and pliability of Lina Allemano’s long-running quartet. Pre-order/order it from Bandcamp.
*** Lina Allemano CD’s and vinyl on Amazon ***
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