Joe Rosenberg Ensemble: Tomorrow Never Knows

The concept of time, the way it seems to flow in only one direction and the hidden nature of the future, forms the intellectual framework of Tomorrow Never Knows, the latest provocation by the Joe Rosenberg Ensemble. Soprano saxophonist Rosenberg contributes a trio of original compositions to the project, Before, During, and After, which share the program with three lengthy explorations of material from widely disparate traditions. The title track is the well-known Lennon-McCartney song from the Beatles’ Revolver album. Lalit is by contemporary Hindustani classical vocalist Ustad Rashid Khan, and Portrait of Tracy is probably the best-known composition by famed electric bassist Jaco Pastorius. Rosenberg and drummer Edward Perraud have worked together since at least 2000, when the saxophonist’s The Long & Short Of It was recorded for Black Saint. Pianist Bruno Angelini, cellist Didier Petit, and bassist Arnault Cuisinier are more recent recruits, first appearing as a unit on Resolution (Quark) in 2012. By now, they’ve established a sound that combines rhythmic and harmonic complexity with sure-footed group interaction. The blend of cello and bass gives the ensemble a deliciously dense bottom, and a resilience that proves liberating for Perraud’s excitable drumming and Angelini’s stabbing piano. Lalit opens the disc with a fine example of the group at its sensuous best. Starting out calmly and growing more heated over the course of the 12-minute performance, the ensemble confidently probes the nooks and crannies of Khan’s song. Before is mysterious and unresolved. Sounds swirl and clatter with Rosenberg’s edgy soprano at the center underpinned by Perraud’s restrained drums. The band’s dramatic Portrait of Tracy features Rosenberg caressing the melody while the rest of the ensemble provides a nuanced and carefully delineated backdrop. The invaluable Perraud keeps things flowing, with pianist Angelini’s agile comping a big part of the mix. A brief bass solo by Cuisinier is measured and cool, leading into an entrancing duet with cellist Petit, followed by an angular and commanding piano solo by Angelini. The band sounds appropriately anxious on During, four minutes of contrasting and spasmodic riffs with no one instrument dominant in the mix. Up next, the Beatles song comes as a bit of a relief. While Perraud sounds a bit restrained, at least at first, the bass and cello go all out to represent the electronic flourishes of the original recording. Rosenberg, not surprisingly, uses his most vocal approach to the horn. Relax your mind, indeed. Finally, there’s the spacious ballad After, the kind of gentle tune that’s not sure of where it’s going and is in no hurry to get there. Interlaced solos by bassist Cuisinier and pianist Angelini bracket Rosenberg’s warmly interrogative solos to bring the disc to a deeply satisfying conclusion. Tomorrow Never Knows is a gem of creative music, highly recommended.
Quark QR201724; Joe Rosenberg (ss) Bruno Angelini (p) Didier Petit (clo) Arnault Cuisinier (b) Edward Perraud (d); Paris, France, December 2016; Lalit/ Before/ Portrait of Tracy/ During/ Tomorrow Never Knows/ After; 53:17. quarkrecords.fr