Frank Rosaly

Frank Rosaly is a key player in Chicago's white-hot improvised music scene. His commitment to this music has endeared him to a creative culture that demands both high energy and deep technical chops. Cicada Music marks Rosaly's first recording as a bandleader, allowing his compositional sensibilities to come to the forefront. His focus on sonic textures is particularly significant as a reflection of Rosaly's approach to drumming, which has expanded to include an ensemble of like-minded players. These often take the form of brief, singularly focused pieces that punctuate the set list, giving a unique sense of track sequencing that borders on turning Cicada Music into a jazz concept album. These texture studies often include restrained use of electronics and multi-tracking to add layers of colour to moments of relative stasis. Final number "Credits" is a good example, displaying Jason Roebke's extended bass technique within mesmerizing textures from Frank Rosaly, on both drums and piano. These short works are brilliantly offset by the forward momentum and swing of the longer pieces. "Tragically Positive" and "Tyophile/Apples" include inspired arrangements for multiple clarinets, accompanied by Jason Adasiewicz on vibraphone, exposing a territory of dark reeds set against the sparkling vibrato of resonant metallic bars. Cicada Music is hopefully just the start of a brilliant recording career from this outstanding bandleader.