Steve Lacy – Sands
(Tzadik)
Unaccompanied
recordings (this one is from 1998) are a great way to delve into a players
sound. Lacy’s tone is complex, rich and full of overtones shaded with varied
articulations, vibrato, a growl or two and subtle dynamic shifts. There is a
reedy buzz surrounding the note with the breath becoming prominent at times
along with the occasional touch of saliva. Nothing is fixed which, in my opinion, is the mark of a great improviser - repeated notes
change in colour with every attack, vibrato ebbs and flows etc. On Sands his low register struck me
in particular – “fat” doesn’t do it justice. Detail in his tone exists at all dynamic
levels, albeit different details (his pianissimo playing great and an area I
wish to explore further in my own playing).
The album has one
non-solo track – a duo with vocalist Irene Aebi. The two create a remarkable blend (no doubt helped by decades of playing together).
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