Cuong Vu 4-tet: Change in the Air

On Change in the Air, the Cuong Vu 4-tet features the trumpeter in the familiar company of guitarist Bill Frisell, bassist Luke Bergman, and drummer Ted Poor. Each musician has at least one tune to contribute, and the resulting music is heavy on atmosphere and low-key sensuous grooves. The main attraction is the lovingly enlaced melodic lines of Vu and Frisell. Their nuanced interactions rely on their instantaneous reactions to one another that move the music forward. A steady Bergman on electric bass and a generally subdued Poor on drums provide plenty of comradely support. All That's Left Of Me Is You, a gentle ballad by Poor, opens the disc in a melancholy mood. Alive, another Poor composition, is slightly more upbeat, featuring some growling trumpet from Vu and country-styled licks from Frisell amid the active drumming of Poor. Towards the end of the 9-minute piece, Frisell’s guitar work becomes more heated in response to Bergman’s doom-laden bass playing. The first of Frisell’s compositions is Look, Listen, with a simple, almost sleepy melody. There’s not much to it, but Vu’s crystal-clear trumpet is always a pleasure. Bergman’s one song, Must Concentrate, opens with a lazy bossa nova feel, accentuated by Frisell’s crisp guitar chords. A surprisingly robust second half is more rock-oriented, with Vu’s trumpet out front. The last of Poor’s three tunes, Lately, lowers the heat again, with a theme that would fit a romantic comedy from the Sixties. I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or not! The next three tunes are by Vu. Round and Round, one of the disc’s highlights, has an angular melody with a few surprising leaps. Vu and Bergman play the head together before an absorbing section of collective improvisation. Another high point is the intriguingly named March Of the Owl and the Bat. It more than lives up to the title with an animated Poor on drums, some stinging guitar from Frisell, and a seriously raging Vu. Round and Round (Back Around) is a sort of reprise, with ruminative trumpet and the friendly clatter of Poor’s on his drum rims. The final pair of tunes were composed by Frisell. There’s not much happening in the wistful Long Ago. The similarly downcast Far From Here offers more to engage the players and the listener, with an attractive trumpet solo and Frisell’s glistening guitar chords. Change In The Air is an intermittently interesting collection of moody performances that’s worth a listen.
RareNoise RNR091; Cuong Vu (tp) Bill Frisell (g) Luke Bergman (b; guitars on *) Ted Poor (d; Fender Rhodes el p on *); Seattle, WA, May 14-16, 2017; All That's Left Of Me Is You/ Alive/ Look, Listen/ Must Concentrate/ Lately*/ Round and Round/ March Of the Owl and the Bat/ Round and Round (Back Around)/ Long Ago/ Far From Here; 52:37. www.rarenoiserecords.com