Larry Ochs

February 29 - March 7, 1 9 9 6

***1/2 Larry Ochs

THE SECRET MIGRATE

(Black Saint)

Ochs is joined by his Rova Sax Quartet mates plus two pianists (one doubling on electronics), two bassists, and a vibist/percussionist. The disc is one near-hour-long piece divided into five parts -- a rather symmetrical rising-and-falling-type thing, with a beautifully ruminative central section sandwiched between two larger ones, each of which describes a dramatic pyramid: start quiet, build to a frenzy, then chill. Ochs writes in the liners about trying to strike a balance between compositional integrity and the freedom of the individual player, to give spur-of-the-moment creativity a specific context -- which is why some people refer to this as jazz, though I suspect he'd prefer that you didn't.

He separates the musicians into three sections -- saxes/basses/pianos-vibes -- and has them function as a "trio" of interacting blocs. Of course, when everybody's going full-tilt, it's easy for us listeners to lose our bearings. And squalling saxes at this late date are starting to sound a mite old, though at least the Rovas are exceptionally articulate squallers. The whole is immensely satisfying; Ochs has achieved the balance he sought, mixing the preconceived with the random and, inevitably, the mysterious.

-- Richard C. Walls