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Reviews

Rich Halley — Fire Within
(Bandcamp Pine Eagle 015, 2023, CD / DL)

Rich Halley — Dusk and Dawn
(Bandcamp no#, 2024, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2025-03-24

Fire Within Cover artDusk and Dawn Cover art

These two most recent releases from Rich Halley show him in two different settings. On Fire Within, he is joined by Matthew Shipp (piano), Michael Bisio (bass), and Newman Taylor Baker (drums), the same quartet that recorded Terra Incognita (2019) and The Shape of Things (2020). As before, Shipp’s piano is a perfect foil for Halley’s edgy tenor sax, contributing nearly-uncontrolled flurries of notes to match Halley’s growls and squeals. The five tracks on Fire Within are certainly full of fire, all listed as group compositions, and allowing plenty of room for stretching out — three of the pieces top ten minutes — without ever overstaying their welcome. There’s a constant flow of ideas, with all four players contributing to a balanced and energetic set. “Angular Logic” is probably my favorite track, and the title reflects its unusual construction, built of jagged lines intersecting at odd angles. Dusk and Dawn finds Halley back at home in Portland, Oregon with the long-standing quartet he calls Rich Halley 4: Halley on tenor, Michael Vlatkovich on trombone, Clyde Reed on bass, and Carson Halley on drums. I believe this is their eighth release (following on from Eleven), so they’re well accustomed to working together. Four of the pieces are Halley originals and the other three are credited to the whole group. Without a chordal instrument, the atmosphere is more sparse than when Shipp’s piano was in the mix, and they make the most of the unusual combination of instruments — Vlatkovich is an excellent trombonist who holds his own against Halley’s incendiary playing. I really enjoy the creative ways that the sax and trombone are arranged, full of unison lines that break into harmonies, call-and-response trade-offs, and echoes that vary upon repetition. I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it here: Rich Halley is one of the best tenor players working today, and every one of his albums is a beacon of hope for the life and validity of jazz.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases, 2024 releases

Related artist(s): Matthew Shipp, Rich Halley

More info
http://richhalley.bandcamp.com

 

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