Foster/Bennett/Wick - Carne Vale

The Free Jazz Collective 0

By Fotis Nikolakopoulos

I haven’t been lucky enough to catch trumpeter Jacob Wick or saxophonist Michael Foster live. But having witnessed on the act the way percussionist Ben Bennett utilizes any found, or converted, sound source into a percussion sound object, I get an idea on how they would sound. This CD proves my case, I think.

Relative Pitch once again and (again…) quite humbly has hit gold. This one will sneak into my best of list for 2024, but Carne Vale is just one of the great releases that the label is putting out. Be aware and check them all out.

This trio music was recorded (live and on the spot if I had to take a guess) in Brooklyn and it is their first musical encounter as a trio, as far as I know. If I had to find just one word to describe their attempts into sound (or music, ok you know what I mean), this would be undermining. Right at the moment you grasp this release, you notice an ironic subversion of written language coming from the track titles. The same goes with the music.

As a trio but, also, as individual players, they focus on undermining all expectations of the listener. The sax is not exactly (far from it actually) the “jazz sax”, Bennett is trying his best not to keep the rhythm conventionally or even keep any rhythm at all. Wick’s trumpet is a playful instrument full of rich timbre, hilarious (call it funny) gargling and non-conventional interaction with his fellow players.

Bennett approach to his sound sources is unique, sometime mysterious (what is he “playing” right now?) and every time so rewarding. Having listened to his playing in the wonderful duos with improvising Saxophonist Jack Wright (he also has a solo album on the label to check out), I think he has progressed. Not in a linear way, whatever that means, but in the sense that he is becoming more free by every recording. But how much freedom is there in free? A lot when talking about noisy surprises.

The duos, and trios, of saxophonist Michael Foster (I really like those with percussionist Ted Byrnes) reveal a sax player eager to interact, not a soloist. This path is followed by his playing in Carne Vale, producing sax sounds barely recognizable. The sounds he produces are the sounds the trio produces. Unconventional, funny, vibrant and totally “not” jazz. But their so free approach must never be labeled in any way. Certainly this CD is one of the best for this year.

Listen here:
Carne Vale by Foster Bennett Wick

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