Beginning with Air, back in the mid-Seventies, the music of Henry Threadgill has always confused me - but in a good way. His compositions are consistently thought-provoking, particularly about the nature of music itself. Wherever his pieces start, there’s no way to know where they are going to end up, or how they’ll get there. It’s one of the many ways that improvisational music has expanded over time into a more open-ended musical space, in contrast to the close-ended format of head-solo(s)-head. Like many composer/improvisers, Threadgill often has a number of projects in the works. One of his bands is
Henry Threadgill Zooid, a quintet with Threadgill on alto sax and flutes, Liberty Ellman on acoustic guitar, Jose Davila on tuba and trombone, Christopher Hoffman on cello and Eliot Humberto Kavee on drums. Zooid last recorded in late 2019 (
Poof), and it’s back with
Cut You Where You Was. Hoffman has been a member of Zooid for 15 years and the other musicians even longer. That kind of dedication is uncommon and it testifies to the absorbing allure of Threadgill’s music. A succinct outing at just under 36 minutes, the music on
Cut You Where You Was is as brash and inventive as ever. Most of the pieces tend to emphasize the ensemble’s work as a unit.
Red Admiral Red Moon Rising, by far the longest piece on the disc at 12:21, is the one track that gives the players plenty of room for imaginative solo work. Hoffman is up first, Threadgill follows with a typically knotty and mildly aggressive solo on alto, and then guitarist Ellman, who also produced and mixed the album, takes over before a suitably surprising finish. Davila, on tuba, and Kavee provide robust support. On the second half of the disc, Zooid presents 5 pieces, each under 2 minutes in length. That's about the capacity of the Edison cylinder, the earliest form of widely-distributed recorded sounds. As Threadgill notes, “You can’t take your time to get to the point because there won’t be a second chorus ...” These gem-like miniatures explore Threadgill’s compositional and arrangement strategies in a new way.
Cut You Where You Was is another enigmatic and provocative release from this singular figure in creative music.
Pi Recordings PI114; Henry Threadgill (as, fl, bass fl) Liberty Ellman (ac g) Jose Davila (tba, tbn) Christopher Hoffman (clo) Elliot Humberto Kavee (d); NYC, June 23-24, 2025 or *Brooklyn, NY, June 25, 2025; Flouroscope*/ Bingo Pat 1*/ Bingo Pat 2*/ Bingo Pat 3*/ Bingo Pat 4*/ Red Admiral Red Moon Rising*/ Blur/ Off and On What Happened/ Lightnin’/ Snow Bones/ Wind at My Back; 35:53. pirecordings.com
The trio of
Henry Threadgill, Vijay Iyer, & Dafnis Prieto first performed for a fundraiser at the Jazz Gallery in New York in 2012. They have periodically reconvened at the Jazz Gallery, and they’ve toured nationally and internationally. Over that time, they’ve achieved a state of deep empathy in their music, as clearly demonstrated on
Fifteen, their very first release. With three of Threadgill’s originals, another three compositions by Iyer, and a pair by Prieto, this is very much a group effort. Threadgill on alto sax and flute is prominent in the mix, complemented by Iyer’s complex and jagged piano lines, and buoyed by the imaginative percussion work of Prieto. The trio’s music is focused and distinctly interactive, with each member of the trio soloing and listening to the other players at the same time. Particular highlights in this bountiful program include the drums and piano duet that’s the centerpiece of Threadgill’s
Trio Piece, Iyer’s dynamic and emotionally wrought
Fire City, and Prieto’s
On the Way, a furiously upbeat number that features some harsh and forceful alto from Threadgill. It took a long time for this band to get into a studio, but it was more than worth the wait. Heartily recommended.
Nonesuch 7559789247; Henry Threadgill (as, fl) Vijay Iyer (p) Dafnis Prieto (d); Mt. Vernon, NY, November 15-16, 2025; Trio Piece/ Last Night/ I Wanted a Map/ Where Coconuts Fall/ Gently Trapped/ Fire City/ Perfect Victims/ On the Way; 47:46. www.nonesuch.com
