Circle the Path - review by Tom Sekowski

Tom Sekowski for Gaz-Eta

Over the last few years, Vancouver-based violinist Jesse Zubot has worked up quite a name for himself. By starting up his own Drip Audio imprint, he is fortunate enough in being allowed a steady medium for his many innovative ideas. The latest one of these ideas is the trio he's put together with fellow Canadian drummer Jean Martin and American bassist Joe Fonda. Working on the premise that no music is bad music and that all genres should be able to filter through the lens, Zubot brings a much needed drip of sunlight into the proceedings. While Zubot's playing on the violin is what I'd call angular and often-times unpredictable, it also features many moments of unrestrained beauty. Check out intermittent passages of glorious, awe-inspiring melody, as Zubot rambles between the fully improvised and what is composed music. Listen to the way he straddles a delicate walk by snapping his strings on "Slow Blues", all the while Fonda lays down a nice bed of arco goodness. Anthony Braxton's "#135" gets a fresh reading in a dazzling, albeit frantic fashion, while Jean Martin's piece "Wild Horse" turns out to be a contemplative number. Fonda is much more than just a bassist. In this case, his juicy, fat lines make nice counter-balance to some of the higher pitched, crazy motifs Zubot brings forward. Martin has an ability to sparsely lay out his rhythmic patterns, which allows a lot of breathing room for the other members of the trio. An excellent release from a trio that has learned to walk without needing first to crawl.

Copyright © 2007 Gaz-Eta and Tom Sekowski.