Guillermo Gregorio
might be considered a musical renaissance man. He has deep-rooted
mainstream jazz
and
bop
influences, and has experimented with
electronics
while also studying
classical
music. In a roundabout way, the title of this release refers to textures, the Russian
avant-garde
movement, art objects, and artistically inspired philosophies. And while this record label generally focuses on
contemporary classical
frameworks,
Gregorio
employs noteworthy modern
jazz
musicians such as guitarist
Jeff Parker
, clarinetist
Francois Houle
, and others. The overall tone and structural design of this outing is quite compelling, as
conducts his strings, horns, and rhythm section while also performing on clarinet. Certain pieces feature soft vibes intermingling with
Parker
's ringing harmonics and percussionist
Carrie Biolo
's abstract permutations, as the band utilizes space as a vehicle for realignment.
imports
minimalist
notions into his repertoire amid the musicians' contrapuntal statements and complexly fabricated micro-motifs, whereas cellist
Fred Lonberg-Holm
and oboist
Kyle Bruckmann
render memorably melodic unison choruses on the piece titled
"Part One."
Either way, no two passages are alike, which is a characteristic that provides an ephemeral nature to this project when viewed as a whole. ~ Glenn Astarita