| Axis and Alignment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 2002 | |||
| Recorded | Summer 2001 | |||
| Studio | Soma Electronic Music Studios, Chicago | |||
| Genre | Free jazz | |||
| Label | Thrill Jockey 106 | |||
| Chicago Underground Duo chronology | ||||
| ||||
Axis and Alignment is an album by the Chicago Underground Duo, featuring multi-instrumentalists Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor. It was recorded during the summer of 2001 at Soma Electronic Music Studios in Chicago, and was released in 2002 by the Thrill Jockey label. [1] [2] [3]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Pitchfork |    [4] |
In a review for AllMusic, John Duffy wrote: "The two dispense with nearly all conventions of song structure, instead focusing on angular drum-cornet-vibraphone collages that emphasize clashing dynamics and shifting moods... Once again, the members of the Chicago Underground balance the edge between avant-garde jazz and ambient, a crossover they very much helped to create." [1]
Daniel Piotrowski of JazzTimes called the album "sensational" and "the Duo's most dynamic work, featuring some of its densest playing," and stated: "the Chicago Underground Duo continues to explore the space between composition and improvisation, melody and abstraction, jazz and rock." [5]
Writing for All About Jazz , Mark Corroto commented: "Axis And Alignment returns to the duo's freeier work heard on the 2000 release Synesthesia... Taylor produces... varying beats, be they the thunder or the splashes of vibraphone color. As for Mazurek, his Don Cherry/Jon Hassell cornet conquers both open and muted free/world music. Their stripped-down duo minimal approach to music produces an apocalypse of sound." [6]
In an article for PopMatters , Marshall Bowden remarked: "Although the group sprinkles some electronics throughout the album, you are never overwhelmed, always getting the feeling that you are hearing an organic sound created by two musicians who are constantly listening to each other and responding rather than something that is programmed and sterile. Axis and Alignment is sometimes joyous, sometimes messy and loud, sometimes subdued, but never dull or clichéd. Just like good music should be." [7]
A reviewer for Pitchfork wrote: "Mazurek and Taylor should be commended for branching out, for insisting on trying something new when churning out a replica of past successes might well have seemed easier. It's a tough decision for any artist to make. But then, no one ever said success would be easy." [4]
Exclaim!'s David Dacks stated that, with regard to jazz content, "Mazurek is the main contributor, with Don Cherry-like blasts throughout. Taylor's vibes sound more deliberate than ever, but again, when the emphasis is on exact sonics and just-so polyrhythms, he sounds great." [8]
Kevin Lian-Anderson of One Final Note commented: "The collective has been constantly reimagining an alternate universe where Don Cherry enlisted Kraftwerk as close collaborators. Axis and Alignment extends this flexible model, generating warmth in a field rife with the potential for cold, lifeless clashing... their music is a close approximation of those blissful, if transitory, moments which quietly enhance one's life. Ephemeral, true, but we are all the richer having experienced them." [9]
The BBC 's Peter Marsh remarked: "Though the prospect of a cornet/drums duo may lack obvious appeal, the CUD's approach transcends the limitations of the format. Taylor's ability to play vibes and drums simultaneously helps... while occasional synthetic basslines from Mazurek's powerbook provide a bedrock for the duo's interplay." [10]
A reviewer for Brainwashed noted that the album features "some great performances of very cool and modern compositions," and wrote: "This disc uses the free jazz idiom with different elements and ideas brought into fold, as the title suggests, making for some interesting listening." [11]
Composed by Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor.
Chicago Underground is an avant-garde jazz ensemble formed in Chicago in 1997 based around the core duo of cornetist Rob Mazurek and drummer/percussionist Chad Taylor. They have recorded and performed as the Chicago Underground Duo, Trio, Quartet or Orchestra depending on how many additional musicians are included. The ensemble which has released numerous recordings on the Thrill Jockey and Delmark labels.
Sam Prekop is an American musician in the band The Sea and Cake. He also has released five solo albums.
Rob Mazurek is an American composer, cornetist, and visual artist based in Chicago.
Douglas McCombs is an American musician who plays bass and guitar with the instrumental rock band Tortoise and leads the instrumental band Brokeback. He is also the longtime bassist for the rock band Eleventh Dream Day. In 1997, he formed Pullman with Bundy K. Brown, Chris Brokaw, and Curtis Harvey, with whom he released two albums. In May 2018, McCombs replaced Eric Claridge as the touring bassist with Chicago jazz-pop outfit The Sea and Cake.
Slon is the third album from the Chicago Underground Trio. The album was released in January 2004 on Thrill Jockey Records. This is their first release on Thrill Jockey, their first two albums were released by Delmark Records. The album was produced by Bundy K. Brown. The trio consists of Rob Mazurek on cornet, Noel Kupersmith on bass and Chad Taylor on drums. This is their last release with bassist Noel Kupersmith. Mazurek and Taylor have also combined as the Chicago Underground Duo and with the Chicago Underground Orchestra.
Possible Cube is an album by Chicago Underground Trio which was recorded in 1999 and released on the Delmark label.
Flamethrower is an album by Chicago Underground Trio which was recorded in 2000 and released on the Delmark label.
Synesthesia is an album by Chicago Underground Duo which was recorded in 1999 and released on the Delmark label the following year.
Chad Taylor is an American drummer, percussionist, and composer. Taylor leads both the Chad Taylor Trio with Brian Settles and Neil Podgurski and Circle Down with Angelica Sanchez and Chris Lightcap. He is a founding member of the Chicago Underground along with Jeff Parker and Rob Mazurek.
Bill Dixon with Exploding Star Orchestra is an album by American jazz trumpeter Bill Dixon and Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra. It was recorded at Electrical Audio studios in Chicago in 2007, and was released in 2008 on the Thrill Jockey label. The album features two versions of a composition by Dixon plus one by Mazurek.
Spiral Mercury is a live album by Pharoah & the Underground, featuring saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, trumpeter Rob Mazurek and drummer Chad Taylor of the Chicago Underground Duo, along with percussionist Mauricio Takara of the São Paulo Underground, bassist Matthew Lux of the Pulsar Quartet, and multi-instrumentalist Guilherme Granado. It was recorded on August 11, 2013, at the Jazz em Agosto Festival in Lisbon, and was released in 2014 by Clean Feed Records.
Chronicle is a live album by the Chicago Underground Trio, featuring trumpeter Rob Mazurek, bassist Jason Ajemian, and drummer Chad Taylor. It was recorded on July 21, 2006, at the German Cultural Center in Chicago, and was released in 2007 by Delmark Records in both CD and DVD formats, the latter directed by Raymond Salvatore Harmon.
Chicago Underground Quartet is the debut album by the jazz ensemble of the same name, featuring trumpeter Rob Mazurek, guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist Noel Kupersmith, and drummer Chad Taylor. It was recorded during August 2000 at Soma in Chicago, and was released in 2001 by Thrill Jockey.
A Night Walking Through Mirrors is a live album by the Chicago/London Underground, pairing two Americans, trumpeter Rob Mazurek and drummer Chad Taylor, with two British musicians, pianist Alexander Hawkins and bassist John Edwards. It was recorded on April 21, 2016, at Cafe Oto in London, and was released in 2017 by Cuneiform Records.
Locus is an album by the Chicago Underground Duo, featuring multi-instrumentalists Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor. It was recorded at Soma Electronic Music Studios in Chicago, Illinois, and was issued in 2014 by Northern Spy Records as the group's second release for the label.
Age of Energy is an album by the Chicago Underground Duo, featuring multi-instrumentalists Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor. It was recorded on December 6, 2010, and June 30, 2011, at Bel Air Studios in Chicago, Illinois, and was issued in 2012 by Northern Spy Records as the group's first release for the label.
Boca Negra is an album by the Chicago Underground Duo, featuring multi-instrumentalists Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor. It was recorded during May 2009 at El Rocha Studios in São Paulo, Brazil, and was released in 2010 by the Thrill Jockey label.
In Praise of Shadows is an album by the Chicago Underground Duo, featuring multi-instrumentalists Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor. It was recorded during August 2005 at Soma Electronic Music Studios in Chicago, and was released in 2006 by the Thrill Jockey label.
12° of Freedom is the debut album by the Chicago Underground Duo, featuring multi-instrumentalists Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor. It was recorded during January and June 1997 at three different locations, and was released in 1998 by the Thrill Jockey label. Guitarist Jeff Parker also appears on three tracks.
Titration is the debut album by the free improvisation ensemble Active Ingredients. Led by drummer Chad Taylor, it features alto saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc, trombonist Steve Swell, and double bassist Tom Abbs, as well as guest artists Rob Mazurek (cornet), David Boykin, and Avreeayl Ra (percussion). The album was recorded on July 5 and 6, 2002, and was released in 2003 by Delmark Records.