Design in Time

Last updated
Design in Time
Design in time cover.jpeg
Studio album by
Released1999
RecordedJuly 6 & 7, 1999
StudioAirwave, Chicago
Genre Jazz
Length69:50
Label Delmark
Producer Sound in Action Trio
Ken Vandermark chronology
Live at the Glenn Miller Café
(1999)
Design in Time
(1999)
Expansion Slang
(2000)

Design in Time is an album by American jazz reedist Ken Vandermark, which was recorded in 1999 and released on Delmark. It was the debut recording by the Sound in Action Trio, which features two drummers: former Sun Ra percussionist Robert Barry and frequent Vandermark collaborator Tim Mulvenna. Most of the tunes are classics written by Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk, Sun Ra, Don Cherry and Albert Ayler. [1]

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [3]

In her review for AllMusic, Joslyn Layne states "Design in Time is a very strong jazz release that becomes more wowing and impressive with each listen." [2]

The Penguin Guide to Jazz says "Barry and Mulvenna make an unapologetically swinging team, playing at least as much time as they do free, and with Coleman, Monk and Ayler among the composer-credits, this is an amenable place to acquaint a newcomer with Vandermark's methods." [3]

The JazzTimes review by Bill Shoemaker notes that "If playing solo is, as often stated, like working a high-wire without a net, venturing out with arrangements for a single horn and two drummers adds a bed of spikes to the simile." [4]

In his review for All About Jazz, Derek Taylor states "Given the solid rhythmic foundry the two afford him, Vandermark is free to cut loose at will on both tenor and clarinet, but unexpectedly he often opts on the side of restraint. His decision is a shrewd move and rightly places the textural emphasis on the intricate interplay between all three players, particularly the drummers." [5]

The PopMatters review by Imre Szeman says "Vandermark tones it down somewhat, opting for a more melodic and even introspective approach, while still maintaining a high degree of energy and movement. The results are impressive: this is a flat out stellar jazz album, even though it may well come to occupy only a minor place in Vandermark’s already considerable ouevre." [6]

Track listing

All compositions by Ken Vandermark except as indicated
  1. "Law Years" (Ornette Coleman) – 8:21
  2. "Sounds and Somethihng Else" (Sun Ra) – 6:10
  3. "One More Once" – 6:02
  4. "Well Suited" – 7:17
  5. "Cut to Fit" – 5:09
  6. "Angels" (Albert Ayler) – 7:04
  7. "Feet Music" (Ornette Coleman) – 6:32
  8. "The Thing" (Don Cherry) – 5:25
  9. "Top Shelf" – 5:30
  10. "Green Chimneys" (Thelonious Monk) – 6:07
  11. "Peace" (Ornette Coleman) – 6:13

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<i>Misterioso</i> (Paul Motian album) 1987 studio album by Paul Motian

Misterioso is an album by American jazz drummer-composer Paul Motian, his ninth album overall and third on the Italian Soul Note label. It was released in 1987 and features performances by Motian’s quintet with guitarist Bill Frisell, tenor saxophonists Joe Lovano and Jim Pepper, and bassist Ed Schuller.

<i>Archie Shepp & the New York Contemporary Five</i> 1964 live album by New York Contemporary Five

Archie Shepp & the New York Contemporary Five is a live album by the New York Contemporary Five recorded at the Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on November 15, 1963, and featuring saxophonists Archie Shepp and John Tchicai, trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Don Moore and drummer J. C. Moses. The album was originally released on the Sonet label in 1964 as New York Contemporary 5 in two separate volumes on LP and later as an edited concert on a single CD, removing the track "Cisum."

<i>Fred Anderson / DKV Trio</i> 1997 studio album by Fred Anderson

Fred Anderson / DKV Trio is an album by the American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson with the DKV Trio, composed of drummer Hamid Drake, bassist Kent Kessler and reedist Ken Vandermark. The album was recorded in 1996 and released on Okka Disk. The DKV Trio formed in the summer of 1994 and started performing at Anderson's Velvet Lounge very early in their career. Those meetings led to the idea of doing a record with Fred. "Black Woman", a classic Anderson composition that appears on several of his other recordings, is a tenor sax duet.

William Jones Jr. was a jazz drummer. He is known for playing and recording with Thelonious Monk, Lester Young, Elmo Hope, and Charles Mingus.

<i>Deep Telling</i> 1999 studio album by Joe Morris DKV Trio

Deep Telling is an album by American jazz guitarist Joe Morris with the DKV Trio recorded in 1998 and released on Okka Disk. The DKV Trio is a band composed of drummer Hamid Drake, bassist Kent Kessler, and saxophonist Ken Vandermark. The whole quartet plays together only on three collective improvisations, on the other five tracks the musicians split off into a variety of duo and trio lineups.

<i>Fred Anderson Quartet Volume One</i> 1999 live album by Fred Anderson

Fred Anderson Quartet Volume One is an album by American jazz saxophonist Fred Anderson which was recorded live during the 1998 season at the Chicago club owned by Anderson, the Velvet Lounge, and released on the Asian Improv label. The Anderson's Quartet features longtime partner trumpeter Bill Brimfield, drummer Chad Taylor and Asian American bassist Tatsu Aoki.

<i>Solid Action</i> (Ken Vandermark album) 1994 studio album by Ken Vandermark

Solid Action is an album by the American jazz reedist Ken Vandermark, recorded in 1994 and released on Platypus. It was the second record by the Vandermark Quartet, which includes bassist Kent Kessler, drummer Michael Zerang and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Scanlan replacing former guitarist Todd Colburn.

<i>International Front</i> 1995 studio album by Ken Vandermark

International Front is an album by American jazz reedist Ken Vandermark, which was recorded in 1994 and released on Okka Disk. He leads the Steelwool Trio with longtime partner bassist Kent Kessler and Boston drummer Curt Newton.

<i>Utility Hitter</i> 1996 studio album by Ken Vandermark

Utility Hitter is an album by American jazz reedist Ken Vandermark, which was recorded in 1995 and released on the Quinnah label. He leads the Barrage Double Trio, composed of one bass-drums-reeds trio from Boston and other from Chicago. The whole band plays six Vandermark compositions, the remaining five tracks are short improvisations: one for each of the trios and three duos.

<i>A Meeting in Chicago</i> 1997 studio album by Joe McPhee, Ken Vandermark, Kent Kessler

A Meeting in Chicago is an album by trumpeter/saxophonist Joe McPhee, reedist Ken Vandermark and bassist Kent Kessler, which was released in 1997 on Eighth Day Music and reissued the following year with new artwork by Okka Disk. The album documents trio, duo and solo improvisations recorded all in a single take with no rehearsal, before playing their first concert later that night at The Empty Bottle. Vandermark cites McPhee’s solo recording Tenor as a major influence.

<i>Real Time</i> (Steam album) 1997 studio album by Steam

Real Time is an album by American jazz reedist Ken Vandermark, which was released in 1997 on Eighth Day Music and reissued in 2000 with new artwork by Atavistic. He leads the quartet Steam with pianist Jim Baker, bassist Kent Kessler and drummer Tim Mulvenna. The band was formed in part to dip into the repertoire of the post-changes jazz tradition, playing live covers of tunes by Anthony Braxton, Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy. On their debut, the group chose exclusively to deal with its own pieces: six by Vandermark and three by Baker.

<i>Baraka</i> (album) 1997 studio album by DKV Trio

Baraka is an album by the DKV Trio, composed of drummer Hamid Drake, bassist Kent Kessler and reedist Ken Vandermark. It was recorded in 1997 and released on Okka Disk.

<i>Target or Flag</i> 1998 studio album by The Vandermark 5

Target or Flag is an album by the American jazz reedist Ken Vandermark, recorded in 1997 and released on Atavistic. It was the second recording of the Vandermark 5, which includes Mars Williams on reeds, Jeb Bishop on trombone and guitar, Kent Kessler on bass and Tim Mulvenna on drums.

<i>Stumble</i> (album) 1998 live album by AALY Trio Ken Vandermark

Stumble is the second album by the AALY Trio + Ken Vandermark, which was recorded live at Chicago's Unity Temple in 1998 and released on Wobbly Rail, a short-lived imprint started by Merge Records/Superchunk principal Mac McCaughan. AALY Trio is a Swedish free jazz band led by saxophonist Mats Gustafsson. Originally just a guest, Vandermark became a full member of the group.

<i>Live in Wels & Chicago, 1998</i> 1999 live album by DKV Trio

Live in Wels & Chicago, 1998 is a double album by the DKV Trio, composed of drummer Hamid Drake, bassist Kent Kessler and reedist Ken Vandermark. The first CD was recorded live at the "Music Unlimited 98" Festival in Wels, while the second was recorded a few days later at the Velvet Lounge, the Chicago club owned by saxophonist Fred Anderson. The album was released on Okka Disk. All the music is improvised but the first disc is a six pieces suite based on Don Cherry's "Complete Communion'".

<i>Straight Lines</i> (album) 1999 studio album by Ken Vandermark

Straight Lines is an album by the American jazz reedist Ken Vandermark, recorded in 1998 and released on Atavistic. The Joe Harriott Project, a pianoless quartet with four members of the Vandermark 5, plays the music of the Jamaican saxophonist Joe Harriott, transcribed and arranged by Vandermark. Three tunes are from the album Free Form and four from Abstract.

<i>Simpatico</i> (The Vandermark 5 album) 1999 studio album by The Vandermark 5

Simpatico is an album by American jazz reedist Ken Vandermark, which was recorded in 1998 and released on Atavistic. It was the third recording of the Vandermark 5, the first with Dave Rempis replacing former saxophonist Mars Williams.

<i>Live at the Glenn Miller Café</i> 1999 live album by AALY Trio Ken Vandermark

Live at the Glenn Miller Café is the third album by the AALY Trio + Ken Vandermark, which was recorded in Stockholm in 1999 and released on Wobbly Rail, a short-lived imprint started by Merge Records/Superchunk principal Mac McCaughan. AALY Trio is a Swedish free jazz band led by saxophonist Mats Gustafsson. Originally just a guest, Vandermark became a full member of the group.

<i>Taras Song</i> 2005 studio album by Ahmed Abdullahs Ebonic Tones

Tara's Song is an album by trumpeter Ahmed Abdullah. It was recorded on May 10, 2004, at Loho Studios in New York City, and was released in 2005 by TUM Records. On the album, Abdullah is joined by members of his band Ebonic Tones: saxophonist Alex Harding, violinist Billy Bang, bassist Alex Blake, and drummer Andrei Strobert.

<i>The Chicago Octet/Tentet</i> 1998 live album by Peter Brötzmann

The Chicago Octet/Tentet is a live album by saxophonist Peter Brötzmann on which he is joined by two large ensembles known as the Chicago Octet and Tentet. Six tracks were recorded live at The Empty Bottle in Chicago on January 29, 1997, and September 17, 1997, while the remaining six tracks were recorded at AirWave Studio in Chicago on September 16, 1997. The album was released in 1998 as a limited-edition three-CD set by the Okka Disk label, and, in addition to Brötzmann, features saxophonists Mats Gustafsson, Joe McPhee, Ken Vandermark, and Mars Williams, trombonist Jeb Bishop, cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, double bassist Kent Kessler, and drummers Hamid Drake and Michael Zerang.

References

  1. Original Liner Notes by Peter Margasak
  2. 1 2 Layne, Joslyn. Ken Vandermark – Design in Time: Review at AllMusic . Retrieved November 21, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2002). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (6th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 1488. ISBN   0140515216.
  4. Shoemaker, Bill. Design in Time review at JazzTimes
  5. Taylor, Derek. Design in Time review at All About Jazz
  6. Szeman, Imre. Design in Time review at PopMatters