Le Rex: Escape Of The Fire Ants

   The Swiss quintet Le Rex is back with Escape Of The Fire Ants, their fourth release. It’s another delicious collection of original sounds from this brash and unpredictable ensemble. The blend of Benedikt Reising’s alto sax, Marc Stucki’s tenor sax, Andreas Tschopp’s trombone, and Marc Unternährer’s tuba is lush and distinctive, with drummer Rico Baumann keeping the grooves moving. Each of the horns has composed for the group, which assures a varied program that’s perfectly tailored for these particular players. The quintet steps right out with trombonist Tschopp’s insistent title track, and it’s immediately apparent that they’re having a lot of fun together. The piece goes through a number of changes over 8 minutes, culminating in a wide-ranging solo by tuba man Unternährer. Tuba, like the cello, is an instrument that’s adaptable to a number of roles. A master player like Unternährer slides imperceptibly between a kind of walking bass line and more horn-like parts. Stucki’s Alimentation Générale is up next, starting out with a classically calm and reserved vibe before heating up, prodded by Baumann’s insistent beat. Unternährer’s sole composing credit is for Smoking Flowers, a sort of ballad with the tuba out front. Also featured are Stucki’s smooth tenor, Reising’s sweet alto, and Tschopp’s voluble trombone. Tschopp’s standout solo comes on Stucki’s heavy-riffing Harry Stamper Saves the Day, referring oddly enough to Bruce Willis’ role in the 1998 film Armageddon. A particular favorite is Reising’s appealing Glow, with a fine Tschopp solo and a richly voiced bass part by Unternährer. I’m also fond of Ballad For an Optimist, which begins by weaving melodies from the horns as the backdrop for a spiffy alto solo by Reising. The mood is sardonic at first, but Baumann starts to kick things along and Tschopp’s piece starts to live up to its title. The closing piece is by Reising. Der Knochige Dürre moves through a number of musical zones in just over six minutes, functioning as a summation and mini-tour of the preceding hour. Crisp arrangements, strong solo work and a buoyancy that comes from years of group interaction combine to make Escape Of The Fire Ants a real treat. Happily recommended.
Cuneiform Rune 464; Andreas Tschopp (tbn) Benedikt Reising (as) Marc Stucki (ts) Marc Unternährer (tba) Rico Baumann (d); La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, no dates specified; Escape of the Fire Ants/ Alimentation Générale/ Smoking Flowers/ One Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy/ Harry Stamper Saves the Day/ Elliott’s Theme/ Bändumeh Landing/ The Funding/ Strong Woods/ Glow/ Ballad For an Optimist/ Der Knochige Dürre; 69:43. www.cuneiformrecords.com