SAXOPHONE JOURNAL
BIG DRUM/ Marty Krystall K2B2 Records K2B2 3029
| Marty Krystall is a deeply dedicated musician. He plays tenor saxophone with a searing intensity, coupled with a complex sonic awareness. His playing is some of the most advanced I've heard on tenor saxophone. As you listen and enjoy his creative efforts, you will also focus on the fact that he has absorbed the work of his predecessors to the maximum.
Krystall coaxes some extraordinary sounds from his horn, all the while dishing up his own personal sound rhetoric and pulling no punches. His use of the chromatic glissando in the changes is something you must hear. It's like a Ben Webster power trip with some Albert Taylor style slipping and sliding. Open ended harmony covers the evolution of this art form from Duke to Webern. Yet the end result is 100% Krystall. This cat is his own man, with a unique sense of phrasing. The tunes on this CD are beautiful. They include several Buell Neidlinger tunes and some co-comps of Krystall and Buell. There is one Thelonious Monk tune, Brilliant Corners. In total the music has a modern and sophisticated foundation. I love Buell and Marty's rendition of Bnlliant Corners. This is a tricky tune with a seven bar bridge that's one of the most exciting and, at the same time, most unpredictable parts of this Monk gem. The way Buell fires up the band on this is like a room without walls. Buell's technical brilliance on bass is quickly obvious. I'd rather hear Buell play two quarter notes than most bassists play a chorus! The band really crashes and bashes, with dynamics and respect for the traditional acoustic requirements. Check the tune Buejerk to actually get a full ear of what I mean about the balance and color of this exceptional band. The solos of trumpeter Demon Hugh Schick are startling. Schick plays with vigor and originality. Here is trumpet playing at its zenith. But you have to dig Marty Krystall for his vitality and energy. There is a lyrical quality, combined with a personal skill, that combines high energy with romanticism. This CD is a total hotbed of experimentation with hints of traditional jazz sounds included for good measure. Marty Krystall's sax applies the yardstick of purity to this music. –– Tim Price |
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