When Rob Mazurek formed the Chicago Underground Collective in 1996, the cornetist helped inspire groups like Tortoise, Labradford and Isotope 217° (Mazurek served as a member in the latter) to fuse post-rock playing stylings with jazz sensibilities. As many of his musical peers continued to kick around in the rock scene, Mazurek began to delve deeper into jazz's challenging avenues. On Alternate Moon Cycles, Mazurek pays tribute to his late mentor and collaborator, the late free jazz trumpet player Bill Dixon, transforming his 2012 tribute piece, "100 Cs for Dixon," into an exploration of minimalist sound.
Recorded in a Chicago lounge with longtime bassist Matt Lux and solo artist Mikel Patrick Avery on organ, the two-track/30-minute LP retains a downtown jazz feel that finds Mazurek holding sustained notes over bubbling post-rock rhythms. As the trio insert hints of free jazz, ambient and shoegaze into these compositions, Alternate Moon Cycles shows a modern musician paying tribute to a classic artist in the most modern way.
(International Anthem Recording Co)Recorded in a Chicago lounge with longtime bassist Matt Lux and solo artist Mikel Patrick Avery on organ, the two-track/30-minute LP retains a downtown jazz feel that finds Mazurek holding sustained notes over bubbling post-rock rhythms. As the trio insert hints of free jazz, ambient and shoegaze into these compositions, Alternate Moon Cycles shows a modern musician paying tribute to a classic artist in the most modern way.
