Jazzmatazz Review - Ben Allison & Medicine Wheel

Ben Allison & Medicine Wheel

Riding the Nuclear Tiger
(Palmetto)

Bassist and composer Ben Allison's fourth album is Riding the Nuclear Tiger, which is performed by his octet, Medicine Wheel. As well as being a talented bassist with a melodic and conversational style, Allison is also an imaginative composer, and his new album emphasizes his compositions.

Allison's music is in the tradition, but not traditional. He has written some memorable and catchy tunes with twists and surprises. The tunes have a lot of structure, but the arrangements still leave plenty of room for solos and improvisation, which are filled admirably by his talented ensemble. Some of the compositions have a narrative feel to them; they draw you in and make you want to see where their story will take you. (Allison discusses the songs in his liner notes.)

The ensemble is made up of talented musicians: Blake, Nash, Horton and Kimbrough all lead their own groups—and Allison is a member of most of them (they must be a tight knit bunch). They are also members of the Jazz Composers Collective. (Allison is the artistic director and a composer-in-residence of the Collective, which has also been responsible for the excellent Herbie Nichols Project recordings.)

Allison makes good use of the interplay of the musicians and the tonal colors possible with the group's varied instrumentation. Kimbrough uses prepared piano "Swiss Cheese D," which also has a freeish Ted Nash tenor solo. Michael Blake plays two horns at once for an interesting effect on the waltz "Weazy." Tomas Ulrich gets in some very tasty cello playing on "Charlie Brown's Psychedelic Christmas." I like the way Allison has interspersed solos with less busy passages that give the ears and mind a chance to rest and regroup.

Despite Allison's complex compositions, this is a very listenable, likeable and lively recording. Riding the Nuclear Tiger is one of the best new recordings of the year so far.

— Alan Lankin, March 2001

Release Date: 9 January 2001

Riding the Nuclear Tiger:

1. Riding the Nuclear Tiger / 2. Jazz Scene Voyeur / 3. Love Chant Remix / 4. Swiss Cheese D / 5. Weazy / 6. Charlie Brown's Psychedelic Christmas / 7. Harlem River Line (Michael Blake) / 8. Mysterious Visitor / 9. Tectonics

Personnel:
Ben Allison: bass / Michael Blake: tenor & soprano saxes / Ted Nash: tenor, alto & soprano saxes, bass clarinet / Ron Horton: trumpet & flugelhorn / Frank Kimbrough: piano / Tomas Ulrich: cello / Jeff Ballard: drums

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last update 25 March 2001