CHRIS TRINIDAD'S CHANT - Triptych II
Iridium Records
Chris Trinidad: bass guitar; Alex Hand Miller: guitars, tamboura; Neelamjit Dhillon: tabla, bansuri, kanjira, alto saxophone; Mario Salomon: bongo, congas, campana, maracas; Colin Hogan: accordion, melodica
Bassist Chris Trinidad follows 2017’s Chant Triptych I with the sequel Chant Triptych II. Besides being a bassist, he has taught liturgical music and is now a vice principal, with this series of albums having an interesting series of origins. Chant Triptych II looks at the same melodies of the Lasallian based liturgical prayer music inspired by the great teacher Saint John Baptist De La Salle, a 17th century French education reformer. The melodies of these eight pieces on the first album were termed what Trinidad called “audio incense” where he used analog synthesizers and percussion to assemble meditation music on the same wavelength of Jack DeJohnette’s Peace Time (Golden Beams Productions, 2005). Here, Trinidad refashions these melodies in a jazz setting with a quintet including himself on bass guitar, Alex Hand on guitars and tamboura, Neelamjit Dhillon on tabla, bansuri flute, kanjira and alto saxophone, percussionist Mario Salomon, and Colin Hogan on accordion and melodica.
Trinidad’s rearrangements of these Gregorian chants is fascinating. The bassist, whose sensitive playing is the root of everything, drew on a variety of inspirations and influences including John McLaughlin and Shakti, Chris Speed’s Pachora and John Zorn’s long running Masada project. The bassist kept the original melodies intact, by adding a few twists like triplet ornamentation amidst a mix of Balkan, Indian and Afro-Cuban rhythms. The multi cultural quintet bristles with energy on “Sinite Parvulos” where the linear harmony of the liturgical style of music creates an intriguing bed for improvisation. Colin Hogan’s accompaniment on accordion and melodica solo are noteworthy. Alex Hand's electric guitar solo on “Beatus Quem Elegisti” hints at Kurt Rosenwinkel with it’s angularity combined with a slight bluesy flavor that suits a natural bluesiness in these melodies. Hand’s mastery of Balkan idioms shines on “Dispersit Dedit Pauperibus” with it’s insistent odd meter in 11 giving Dhillon ample time to solo over it’s hypnotic vamp. Dhillon’s mournful bansuri flute intro to “Qui Timent” marries the Indian flavor of his lines with the piece’s gentle melody statement. “Qui Fecerit” the closer, uses a percolating 6/8 bembe rhythm of Salomon’s percussion to finish things on a spirit note. Trinidad’s bass lines are always solid and offer a selflessness that is quite reminiscent of Steve Rodby.
Chant Triptych II through it’s world view, and blend of the sacred and the secular in an improvisational context engender a similar kind of curiosity that Michael Cretu’s Enigma project did in the 90’s in the realm of dance music. Trinidad’s respect for the source material is injected with a freedom to allow the soloists to express themselves without restriction. One of the most unique releases this year.
Reviewed by C J Shearn
Iridium Records
Chris Trinidad: bass guitar; Alex Hand Miller: guitars, tamboura; Neelamjit Dhillon: tabla, bansuri, kanjira, alto saxophone; Mario Salomon: bongo, congas, campana, maracas; Colin Hogan: accordion, melodica
Bassist Chris Trinidad follows 2017’s Chant Triptych I with the sequel Chant Triptych II. Besides being a bassist, he has taught liturgical music and is now a vice principal, with this series of albums having an interesting series of origins. Chant Triptych II looks at the same melodies of the Lasallian based liturgical prayer music inspired by the great teacher Saint John Baptist De La Salle, a 17th century French education reformer. The melodies of these eight pieces on the first album were termed what Trinidad called “audio incense” where he used analog synthesizers and percussion to assemble meditation music on the same wavelength of Jack DeJohnette’s Peace Time (Golden Beams Productions, 2005). Here, Trinidad refashions these melodies in a jazz setting with a quintet including himself on bass guitar, Alex Hand on guitars and tamboura, Neelamjit Dhillon on tabla, bansuri flute, kanjira and alto saxophone, percussionist Mario Salomon, and Colin Hogan on accordion and melodica.
Trinidad’s rearrangements of these Gregorian chants is fascinating. The bassist, whose sensitive playing is the root of everything, drew on a variety of inspirations and influences including John McLaughlin and Shakti, Chris Speed’s Pachora and John Zorn’s long running Masada project. The bassist kept the original melodies intact, by adding a few twists like triplet ornamentation amidst a mix of Balkan, Indian and Afro-Cuban rhythms. The multi cultural quintet bristles with energy on “Sinite Parvulos” where the linear harmony of the liturgical style of music creates an intriguing bed for improvisation. Colin Hogan’s accompaniment on accordion and melodica solo are noteworthy. Alex Hand's electric guitar solo on “Beatus Quem Elegisti” hints at Kurt Rosenwinkel with it’s angularity combined with a slight bluesy flavor that suits a natural bluesiness in these melodies. Hand’s mastery of Balkan idioms shines on “Dispersit Dedit Pauperibus” with it’s insistent odd meter in 11 giving Dhillon ample time to solo over it’s hypnotic vamp. Dhillon’s mournful bansuri flute intro to “Qui Timent” marries the Indian flavor of his lines with the piece’s gentle melody statement. “Qui Fecerit” the closer, uses a percolating 6/8 bembe rhythm of Salomon’s percussion to finish things on a spirit note. Trinidad’s bass lines are always solid and offer a selflessness that is quite reminiscent of Steve Rodby.
Chant Triptych II through it’s world view, and blend of the sacred and the secular in an improvisational context engender a similar kind of curiosity that Michael Cretu’s Enigma project did in the 90’s in the realm of dance music. Trinidad’s respect for the source material is injected with a freedom to allow the soloists to express themselves without restriction. One of the most unique releases this year.
Reviewed by C J Shearn
