Sustained spontaneous improvisation is arguably one of the defining rites of jazz artists. Although often witnessed in live sessions, we have relatively few examples in the recorded canon. Perhaps this reflects the fact that the very act of creating a permanent record of in vivo improvisation is in itself contradictory. Once set in analog or digital stone, spontaneity becomes documentary. Further, there is no doubt that the pleasure of experiencing the creation of new music comes as much from the visual as from the auditory interaction. The piano/bass/drum trio has been the source of live and recorded spontaneous improvisation among such artists as Keith Jarrett and Kenny Werner, and the latter issued a quite delightful set of Unprotected Music for Double-Time back in 1998. Now comes Shine Ball, a collaboration among simpatico Minnesotans, expatriate Carrothers, bassist Gordon Johnson, and percussionist Dave King.

The Musicians

It may seem incongruous for these artists to appeaer under the Fresh Sound/New Talent label, as these are hardly “new” artists. Carrothers alone has a long list of acclaimed recordings and a large following in Europe where he spends much of his performance time. King’s affiliation with the Bad Plus makes him somewhat of an international celebrity, at least in that context. And Gordon Johnson, whose national reputation may only be hindered by the fact that he plays a most underappreciated instrument, has been touring and recording for more than three decades. But indeed these three do share a “Fresh Sound.”

A protégé of the late Bobby Peterson, Edina native Bill Carrothers has a wealth of technical and artistic devices which seem to fuse Debussy and Jarrett with sprinklings of Bill Evans and plenty of humor. He will caress the keys one moment and then stuff his shoe into the innards to dampen the hammers. He can explode with two-handed runs, fleet sequences of chords, sudden changes in dynamics and rhythm, and well-placed pizzicato twangs on the strings. And unlike some of his highly creative contemporaries, Carrothers achieves his sonic dramas with only acoustic manipulations.

Although well known as the Bad Plus and Happy Apple drummer, King’s reputation outside those groups is pretty much limited to the Twin Cities area, and thus his versatility is largely overlooked outside his hometown. As he demonstrates with Carrothers, King not only has an immense imagination, he has a wide range of sonic exploits, often at far less than the thunderous volume that has been a prime feature (and sometimes criticism) of his work with the Bad Plus. His trademark menagerie of “instruments” can include literally everything plus the kitchen sink--saucepans, a plastic apple, homemade contraptions of strings and steel spikes, a pair of “E.T.” dolls that sound extraterrestrial, and, as used on Shine Ball, the waterphone.

Photo by Andrea Canter

Bassist Gordon Johnson, who actually studied flute at the Eastman School of Music before signing on to tour with Maynard Ferguson, has an affinity for pianists and particularly the trio format, as evidenced by his recordings of Trios (Volumes 1, 2, and 3.0). His reputation is largely within the mainstream as first-call support for area and touring vocalists and instrumentalists. Indeed, the liner photo for Shine Ball suggests Johnson is the straight man in this company, and only Gordy plays an unaltered instrument. But don’t be fooled. As producer and pulse, Johnson is as capable of surprise and silliness as either of his compatriots.

The Music

Shine Ball, defined on the cover as “an illegal pitch in which a foreign substance is applied to the ball by the pitcher before he throws it,” was created in the studio (Matthew Zimmerman’s Wild Sound) over two sessions recorded a year apart; only one of the 14 tracks is based on a pre-composed melody, the traditional Christmas hymn, “Watchman Tell Us of the Night.” (Notes Carrothers, "We recorded the CD at Christmas time two years in a row, so since its a Christma tune, it seemed natural to do it.") There are no overdubs or other post-recording tweaks. Most of the tracks are relatively short, only two barely exceeding six minutes, thus having more the feel of experimental vignettes rather than fully realized compositions.

Like much of the recording, the title and opening track “Shine Ball” runs about three minutes, a squeaky rumbling with a marginally oriental motif and errant direction like the adulterated baseball. Rattling percussion, eerie string vibrations (Carrothers seems to be playing inside piano) and short bassline phrases create a sinister sensation of danger lurking around the corner. This mood of foreboding permeates many of the tracks, particularly on the aptly titled “Maelstrom” in which Carrothers holds his own conversation between the lowest notes of the left hand and chords of the right hand, while Johnson’s bass adds a brooding darkness. Faster phrases, deeper hesitations, and a splattering snare signal the arrival of the storm. So, too, does “One Note Slamba” provide an uneasy ride, this time led by a percussion solo for the first of its 2 1/2 minutes, interspersed with Johnson’s running bass and Carrothers’ sequence of 4-note repetitions. But it’s largely an experiment in percussive multi-tasking, as King delivers rolling snare and some unpredictable jolts on the bass and toms before adding more elements from his kit. The longest and “creepiest” track, “Creep Show” starts as an interaction among strings. King fills with some percussive screeches, expanding his arsenal gradually as Johnson creates more flutter and Carrothers tinkers with the piano’s innards. Like a sound track to a horror film or spy thriller, an ominous mystery awaits at each turn. More assertive as the track moves along, the piano tosses out fragments of melody that play out over a continuous chatter between bass and percussion. Following some brighter, bluesy phrases from Carrothers, King closes out the “show” with a trademark scrape.

Photo by Andrea Canter

Some tracks are quite playful and one only regrets that this is not a DVD that would allow us to view the interplay as well as hear it. “ET Phones Home” starts off with a somber piano, while minor phrases from the bass add a whining, mournful tone, and King adds whistling percussion, probably from the water phone. Full of static and dissonant cries, it’s an extra-terrestial etude. “Millipede” develops from a keyboard ostinato in tandem with a cranky, slinky bassline. As the percussion rises, the piano falls, only to reappear in sudden bursts of notes. The pattern repeats, King blasting out of his reverie for a few bars as piano and bass alternately retreat and return, much like the intermittent bursts of color and excitement of holiday fireworks, the tentacles of the “millipede” reaching out, then pulling back, never really going far but enjoying the explorations of its immediate surroundings. “Data Has Feelings” is the shortest track at less than 2 minutes, a mad rush of Carrothers’ two-handed phrases followed by a very short dash of scaled runs over frenetic percussion and a steady bass pulse. The track ends in a slow dive, finally dissipating, out of breath, no doubt. A percussion solo launches “Playboy Pinball Machine”; King fills the playground with his arsenal, while Carrothers again seems to be using the inside of the piano as much as the outer keyboard. It’s a sonic picnic of tin can clatter, a pinball careening inside its enclosure.

“Shoe-in” has so much going on, I would prefer to see this one rather than rely only on the aural result. Johnson pulls deep bassnotes over what sounds like radio static, perhaps shells or another percussive device. Carrothers enters like bells out of tune, plucking the piano strings, rippling and sliding across the keys as he develops a more melodic experiment of trills, triplets, and clinky drops on the strings. Johnson is a major voice throughout, echoing from the bottom of the bass while King hits higher pitched clangs on the rims, his subtle rattles barely audible over his spitfire rat-a-tatts.

Photo by Andrea Canter

Among the most playful tracks are “FNKG,” “Made in China,” and “El Cocodrilo” which all share an inherent quirky funkiness. Like stride in outer space, “FNKG” begins with a bass and drum duet to which Carrothers adds a bluesy twang and Monkish rhythm. “Made in China” features a banging vamp from King; Johnson attacks the lowest notes via strumming or bowing as King again brings in more and more elements, including a cow bell. Here Carrothers seems to limit himself to some deep rumbles, while Johnson is a relatively melodic voice--but it is only relative! “El Cocodrilo” has a dissonant start with percussive squeals and a sparse keyboard line. There’s a Happy Applish grating like fingers on the blackboard, and Johnson adds a buzzy arco line.

Two dissimilar constructions prove to be the most lyrical. “Bourbon” features a dissonant melody from solo piano, a longing and lyrical thread despite its odd note combinations. King provides a soft percussion backdrop that belies his Bad Plus/Happy Apple reputation, while Johnson offers a minor counter melody. Relative to most of the other improvisations, this one has greater elaboration, a more classical feel despite its heavily textured note clusters. The one track not fully improvised, “Watchman, Tell Us of the Night” is hardly in its traditional 19^th century garb, although it does begin as a Romantic piano prelude, showcasing Carrothers’ exquisite melodicism. There’s a light percussive shimmer and lyrical counterpoint from the bass, washing the track in a melancholy mist. As the percussion becomes more assertive, Carrothers rolls out the melody in a fitting, majestic voice, the hymn finally surfacing in its more or less original jeweled wrapper.

This trio is a full partnership, with spontaneity tempered by empathy. While on the surface there are incongruities—lyrical piano passages in tandem with oddball percussion gadgetry, quirky “preparations” of the keyboard challenged by pure acoustic basslines--it all melds together to produce a unique yet accessible, often playful result, always challenging the listener to find the common threads, to anticipate the next turn.

Celebrate!

Shine Ball was technically released in November 2005, but only now will there be an official celebration with Carrothers, Johnson, and King on the bandstand at the Dakota in downtown Minneapolis on Wednesday, April 12^th. But don’t expect to hear tracks from the album. As Johnson notes, “We probably won't be playing any of the tunes from the disc because we never learned them. They were totally spontaneous! Maybe something will sound somewhat like something on the disc, but who knows? That's the jazzy fun of it.”

For some jazzy fun at the highest level of creativity and talent, come see these artists engage in their own brand of spontaneous combustion. And pick up your copy of Shine Ball, as that is the only way you will ever hear these creations.

Shine Ball is available from CD Baby ( www.cdbaby.com) and from www.bridgeboymusic.com. The Bill Carrothers Trio will be on the bandstand at the Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, downtown Minneapolis, from 7-11 pm, $6 cover.