Photo by Andrea Canter

“Frevo” kicks off the set in upbeat fashion, offering a tour de force for Little, whose dexterity brings the alto to its peak without falling over the edge. Aula’s solo fortells a style that is repeated over the course of the set, with solid bass lines in the left hand while charting new territory with his right. Meanwhile Washington sits in the driver’s seat with his chittering cymbals and rolling snares, hesitation shots dropped here and there to keep everyone on full alert, and becoming more assertive as the music drives to a snappy finish.

Little’s “In the Hunt” opens with a funky vamp from Washington, quickly picked up by Bailey and continuing after Little enters with the melody. Aula’s lyrical foray erupts into a full-scale deconstruction. Washington keeps a steady foot on the accelerator, blending bass drum with Bailey’s lines while Aula twists around the melody, laying down some dissonant notes that add tension over Washington’s continuous series of pops and thumps.

“Reminiscence” features Aula’s mournful, classically tinged introduction to the ballad melody in tandem with some well-placed ripples from the drum kit. Here Little adds a bit of breathy vibrato in the alto’s the lowest register. Without losing the melancholy completely, Aula’s solo picks up the pace, his two hands working as a complementary team but each off on its own tangent, giving the tune a richly textured, complex harmony. Probably using his hands on the skins, Washington conjures congas, and the drums become more prominent until the track dissipates in a flutter of tinkling keys and cymbals.

Photo by Andrea Canter

Kevin Washington’s “Compassion” features a celestial introduction from Aula, his upper register tinkling over a bassline dirge. Little’s alto sings a hymn-like ballad line while Washington combines the depth of the bass drum and the high pitch of the cymbals in much the same manner as did Aula, offering an ominous foundation for the floating conversation that follows.

The title track begins with Little’s statement of the melody over strong basslines from piano and bass. As Washington adds some snappy twirling figures, Little ups the ante with his own curling horn, climbing to the top of the alto without going too far into honk-and-squeal land. Like a Phoenix rising, the quartet accelerates; Aula solo twitters around an inside-out melody, a dual improvisation playing between right and left hand and then joining together into one storyline. Aula can create fluttering figures much like a horn. With more prominent lines from Bailey, Little brings the Phoenix home, arpeggios reaching to high twitters over the pounding ripples of Washington’s trapset.

No matter how often I hear “Tainted Tango,” I continue to find another nuance and greater appreciation for the somber tone of the bass clarinet. In Little’s hands, this seldom played and somewhat awkward looking reed giant takes on an almost human voice. Here Little has created a classic composition highlighting the tonal colors of the bass clarinet set to a tango rhythm. With only bass and drum supporting the horn’s seductive introduction, Aula enters ever so gently with a touch both sultry and mysterious. While Bailey and Washington keep the tango beat a steady presence, Aula moves into a more complex vamp before Little returns to the melody; the tango resolves as Bailey and Little join forces on the final notes.

Dedicated to Marjorie Taborn, mother of Little’s former keyboard partner Craig Taborn, “Mrs T” is a jaunty, bluesy, upbeat tune with all the fun and spirit of its namesake. A funky alto is followed by an equally swinging piano; heavy funk beats from Washington and Bailey are punctuated with ripping jags and pops. Aula primarily relies on single-line contortions, while Little picks up the pace, swirling upward as the tune fades out.

The longest track at nearly 8 ½ minutes, “Canzone per Nino Rota” is Aula’s tribute to the great 20^th century Italian composer of opera and film scores. I’ve previously heard Aula play this composition in a piano trio format (on Gordon Johnson’s Trios Volume 3.0) and in quartet with trumpet on his own recording (Looking Glass Session). On this outing, the alto paints a darker vision compared to either of the earlier versions, while on Aula’s quartet recording, Todd Horton’s muted trumpet gave the Canzone a more mysterious air. While in trio format Aula naturally was more the center of attention and swing, with Little’s quartet, the percussion in particular plays a more assertive role. In each of these versions, the Canzone is a marvelous tune that opens many opportunities for endless ideas. Bailey has his day to shine, carrying the melody and adding a near echoing of the piano line with a slightly dissonant tone, giving the passage a vibrating quality. Little adds a wailing cry while Washington’s thunder on the toms adds to the darkness and sense of foreboding, setting up Aula’s solo passage of increasingly complex lines and polyharmonics. Aula takes command at the finish, giving his lines a lighter, tinkling touch.

Little and the quartet close the set with his composition, “Sigh Over Cy,” an introspective arrangement that is primarily melodic while setting up twisty improvisation passages. Bailey initiates the effort with his strongest statement of the recording, a resonating low register pulse moving into a single line vamp, snaking into the lower reaches of the bass. Aula tackles the higher register with his right hand, creating flowing segments and trills. Overall Little has created a complex melody that allows each musician to develop his own statement, and with another 8 minutes to stretch out, everyone has the opportunity to do just that.

Although the first Doug Little recording carried the title Subtle Differences, The Phoenix soars to reach the promise of the earlier title, offering twists and turns that are at times charming, elegant, mysterious, sultry, playful, and introspective. The variations are often subtle rather than blatant statements, reflecting the maturing aesthetic of one of the most intelligent and creative artists working today in the Twin Cities—and beyond.

The Doug Little Quartet will celebrate the official release of The Phoenix with a two-night gig at the Artists Quarter in downtown St. Paul, this weekend (August 26-27); sets start at 9 pm and the first set each night is nonsmoking. It’s the best $10 deal in town.

The Phoenix will be available at local CD outlets or on Doug Little’s website at www.douglittlemusic.com

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