Ned Rothenberg - Overlays

This is Rothenberg's Double Band: a sextet with the leader and Thomas Chapin on alto saxophones, Kermit Driscoll and Jerome Harris on electric bass guitars, and Billy Martin on drum kit as well as Adam Rudolph on other percussion. They use funky R&B beats as a vehicle for free, creative blowing within mostly structured yet extrapolated frameworks. Rothenberg's extended, overblown harmonic technique contrasts Chapin's more tonal approach. The title track is a three-part suite: the "a" section incorporates solid mechano-funk with unison lines; then the "b" follows with saxes wailing over Serengeti percussion while electric bass plunks to a wild, untamed 7/4 beat as a bridge to "c", with Rothenberg displaying his expansive multi-phonic approach before a riveting percussion workout. Read More