Saturday, June 29, 2013

The Heisenberg Uncertainty Players

© -Steven Cerra, copyright protected; all rights reserved.


“This is Jazz in the 21st century: these players hear the music differently. The music of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Players takes from the Jazz tradition while at the same time synthesizing influences and inspirations from disparate, contemporary musical sources – something that Jazz has done throughout it existence.”
- The Editorial Staff at JazzProfiles

Some beginning thoughts and observations.

First of all, I am not a Jazz critic.

I know from personal experience how hard it is to play this stuff so in my role as “the editorial staff at JazzProfiles,” I refrain from criticizing, in the negative sense of that term, Jazz that doesn’t appeal to me.

So when John Dorhauer reached out and asked if I would be interested in listening to Emergency Postcards, a self-produced CD by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Players [HUP], a large Jazz ensemble based in an area west of Chicago of which John is the Director, I said that I would be happy to give it a listen, but that I wouldn’t promise to write about it if I didn’t like the music.


I’ve been struggling with how to write a review of Emergency Postcards ever since.

Not because I didn’t like the HUP’s music, but mainly because I didn’t understand what I was listening to.

Not being a critic – “Yes, I liked it and here’s why; not I didn’t like it and here’s why” - I was confronted with the dilemma Peter Keepnews succinctly states in the following:

“Those of us who have tried writing about Jazz know what a daunting challenge it can be to do it well. Expressing an opinion about a given musician or recording is easy; explaining what exactly it is that makes that musician or recording worth caring about is not.”

Secondly, I have commented previously and at length about the role of texture or sonority, in other words, the way the music sounds, in composing and arranging music for big bands.

The earlier expositions on the role of texture in big band orchestrations are most notably to be found in my earlier posts on the music of the Gerald Wilson Orchestra and the Maria Schneider Orchestra.

Here’s an excerpt from my earlier piece on Maria Schneider’s music by way of explanation:

“When writing about the music of Maria Schneider, the “texture” of her music is often stressed as that quality which makes it so unique and so appealing.

But what is a musical definition of “texture” which joins with melody, harmony and rhythm [meter] as a fourth building block used to create a musical composition?

Ironically, of the four basic musical atoms, the most indefinable yet the one we first notice is – “texture.”

“Texture” is the word that is used to refer to the actual sound of the music. This encompasses the instruments with which it is played; its tonal colors; its dynamics; its sparseness or its complexity.

Texture involves anything to do with the sound experience and it is the word that is used to describe the overall impression that a piece of music creates in our emotional imagination.

Often our first and most lasting impression of a composition is usually based on that work’s texture, even though we are not aware of it. Generally, we receive strong musical impressions from the physical sound of any music and these then determine our emotional reaction to the work.” [Emphasis, mine]


Thirdly, I wrote this about the young Italian alto saxophonist Francesco Cafiso in a previous profile:

“Some young, Jazz players use a lot of notes in their solos.

This tendency seems to be a part of the joys of first expression; the thrill of discovering that you can play an instrument and play it well.

Kind of like: “Look what I’ve found? Look what I can do? Isn’t this neat?”

Another reason why these young, Jazz musicians play so many notes is because they can.

They are young, indiscriminately so, and they want to play everything that rushes through their minds, getting it from their head into their hands almost instantly.

Their Jazz experience is all new and so wonderful; why be discerning when you can have it all?

If such abilities to “get around the instrument” were found in a young classical musician romping his or her way through one of Paganini’s Caprices, they would be celebrated as a phenomena and hailed as a prodigy.

Playing Paganini’s Caprices, Etudes, et al. does take remarkable technical skills, but in fairness, let’s remember that Paganini already wrote these pieces and the classical musician is executing them from memory.

In the case of the Jazz musician, playing complicated and complex improvisations requires that these be made up on the spot with an unstated preference being that anything that has been played before in the solo cannot be repeated.


But often times when a Jazz musician exhibits the facility to create multi-noted, rapidly played improvised solos, this is voted down and labeled as showboating or derided as technical grandstanding at the expense of playing with sincerity of feeling.

Such feats of technical artistry are greeted with precepts such as “It’s not what you play, but what you leave out” as though the young, Jazz performer not only has to resolve the momentary miracle of Jazz invention, but has to do so while solving a Zen koan at the same time [What is the sound of the un-played note or some such nonsense].”

And lastly, in April, 1962 during what was then called "Easter Week", I was the drummer in a quintet that won the Intercollegiate Jazz Festival which was held annually at The Lighthouse Cafe located in Hermosa Beach, CA.

Much of the music that our quintet played was inspired by and/or derived from the Paul Horn Quintet.

By 1962, nearly every Jazz fan was familiar with the modal Jazz played by the Miles Davis Sextet in the Kind of Blue album, and with "unusual" time signatures immortalized by the Dave Brubeck Quartet's Time Out! album.

Modal Jazz uses scales instead of chord progressions as the basis for its themes [melodies] and improvisations. For “unusual time signatures” think the 5/4 of Paul Desmond’s Take Five or Dave Brubeck’s Blues Rondo a la Turk which is in 9/8 time but counted as 2-2-2-3 . In other words, those in other than the more standard 2/4 and 4/4 time.

What made the Paul Horn Quintet particularly appealing to our us was that it was playing modal Jazz in combination with unusual time signatures, just the thing to peak the musical interest of 5 young lads ranging in ages from 18-22.


Still with me? Here’s a recapitulation of the four points I’ve been discussing.

[1] - explaining what exactly it is that makes that musician or recording worth caring about is not an easy thing to do

-2] - “Texture” is the word that is used to refer to the actual sound of the music. This encompasses the instruments with which it is played; its tonal colors; its dynamics; its sparseness or its complexity.

Texture involves anything to do with the sound experience and it is the word that is used to describe the overall impression that a piece of music creates in our emotional imagination.

[3] - “Some young, Jazz players use a lot of notes in their solos.

This tendency seems to be a part of the joys of first expression; the thrill of discovering that you can play an instrument and play it well.

Kind of like: “Look what I’ve found? Look what I can do? Isn’t this neat?”

Another reason why these young, Jazz musicians play so many notes is because they can.

They are young, indiscriminately so, and they want to play everything that rushes through their minds, getting it from their head into their hands almost instantly.

Their Jazz experience is all new and so wonderful; why be discerning when you can have it all?

[4] - playing modal Jazz in combination with unusual time signatures, just the thing to peak the musical interest young … Jazz musicians who want to put their own stamp on the music.

Let’s see if I can tie these four observations together as they relate to Heisenberg Uncertainty Players, Emergency Postcards CD.

I was intrigued by the music’s texture [sound], by the technical virtuosity and facility of the young musicians playing it, engaged by their youthful exuberance  in executing it, constantly surprised by the new directions these talented players pushed the music, amused by their audaciousness in combining meter and melody in unexpected ways [Dave Brubeck would have loved these guys], amazed by the music’s humor and its poignancy [let alone some of its complicated song titles] and otherwise completely baffled about how I was going to explain the music and why I liked it.


So I did the next best thing.

I contacted John Dorhauer, the Musical Director of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Players – not to be confused with the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle in Physics – and asked him if he would make clear what’s going on in the music for each of the tracks on the CD.

Much to my delight [and, relief], he agreed and sent along the following annotations.

Heisenberg Uncertainty Players, Emergency Postcards

“Death & Taxes”

This lead track from EP features a perpetual funk groove that winds through a few distinct permutations before finally returning to the opening idea.  The melody is first heard in a trio of trumpet, alto sax, and trombone, and this is immediately repeated with everyone joining in on the fun.  This gives way to the first solo (Tim Koelling, alto sax), which features backgrounds that progressively build the ensemble to a climax, only to drop back down in texture for the second solo (Andrew Ecklund, trumpet).  This section begins with a spacey, ambient version of the funk groove, but it switches back to the original hook halfway through.  After a brief ensemble section, the groove breaks down completely and shifts to a new funk groove built off a chunky hook.  This gives way to a bass solo (Dan Parker), which features another progressive ensemble build leading to a sudden drop off in texture.  The ensemble returns for a succession of biting punches that accentuate a series of drum fills (Keith Brooks), which ultimately brings back a brief statement of the original melody.

 “Stercorem pro Cerebro Habes (That is Definitely Food for Thought)”

“Stercorem” has a Latin groove cooked over a slow sizzle and a structure built around a compound ternary (ABA) form from classical music.  Both of the first two sections feature distinct melodies (the former starts in unison trombones, while the latter starts in unison saxes) that give way to solo sections built off their respective forms (Carl Kennedy, piano, and Luke Malewicz, trombone).  The final section is a fusion of these first two: though it uses the form and progression of the first section, the melodies from both sections are pitted against each other in a dense counterpoint.



“#howthef***didigethere”

Written by tenor saxophonist Vinny Starble, “#” features a constantly evolving texture supported by a mellow hip-hop groove.  The groove builds progressively over the intro as the ensemble slowly crescendos towards a peak.  Once the guitar solo enters (Chris Parsons), the ensemble builds towards another climax before dropping off and shifting to Starble’s tenor solo.  This extended solo section uses a single vamp, and it also includes its own rising/falling sense of tension.  The final build of the track occurs over the escalating drum solo (Keith Brooks) as members of the band enter progressively.  The opening vamp then returns, which ultimately tapers to a solo piano cadenza that reflects the fading tick of a clock.

“Cactus Fruit”

“Cactus Fruit” is a burning Bird blues that has an energetic drive that makes it an ideal opener for live sets.  After the initial full band blast, the drums fill into an angular soli for alto sax, tenor sax, and muted trumpets.  The rest of the band returns for the head of the tune, which pits all three horn sections against each other with layers of interwoven melodies.  This builds to a climax similar to the first four notes of the tune, which then gives way to the first solo section (Andrew Ecklund, trumpet).  Following this, the saxes take over with a virtuosic soli, culminating in the song’s first deviation from the 12-bar blues form.  Trombone pads and a New Orleans street beat introduce another section of melodic trade-offs between sax and trumpet pairings.  This deviation is short-lived, however, as another ensemble build leads back to the blues form and another solo (Adam Frank, tenor sax).  This then gives way to the final two choruses of the chart, and the resulting ensemble section is also its climax.  Though the blues form and short melodic motives are developed extensively, there is no repetition of extensive melodic material at any point throughout the tune.

“Honey Badger”

There is very little repetition of material in “Honey Badger,” as it is essentially a through-composed piece that explores a variety of styles and grooves.  After an ambiguous, winding intro, the music then shifts abruptly to a greasy speak-easy swing.  This section starts with a trombone solo (Phil Arquette), but ensemble backgrounds steadily build to a climax, at which point the groove changes yet again.  The bass lays down the foundation for a driving groove, and the texture evolves from a brass soli section to more contrapuntal one with weaving lines from the full ensemble.  A tenor solo (Adam Frank) is added over the same groove, but a new chord progression is introduced.  This then leads to yet another new section built over a similar groove that establishes unique melodic material played by the full ensemble.  What is unique about this section is that the bass line used generates many of the motives that develop throughout the piece.  After two more solos (James Baum, bari sax, Carl Kennedy, piano), another brief ensemble section gets interrupted by a short coda that uses the song’s intro.

“5 – e - & - a”

As its title implies, “5 – e - & - a” is an exercise in counting.  While it is a straight-ahead swing tune at its core, it also has measures of 5/4 meter sprinkled throughout that serve to thwart listeners’ expectations.  The melody follows a conventional AABA structure, and after a brief ensemble send-off modeled off the song’s intro, the first solo section emerges (Vinny Starble, tenor sax, and Luke Malewicz, trombone).  An ensemble soli section links the two solo sections, and unison brass and harmonized saxes trade off phrases that stumble in and out of 5/4 measures.  After the final two solos (Steve Duncan, trombone, and Chris Parsons, guitar), a climactic ensemble section gives way to a return of the song’s original melody.  This section starts much softer, but it brings back the original energy at the bridge.  It concludes with the full ensemble playing a short coda that borrows from the song’s intro.


“Lilacs”

This album closer blends numerous distinct styles together in what is another through-composed piece, and it treats the jazz band more like a symphonic ensemble (flute and clarinet are used extensively).  The intro features five chords over which the soprano sax (Tim Koelling) improvises a florid cadenza.  The docile R&B groove of the first section then kicks in, which also features an orchestrally conceived melody played by soprano sax, flute, flugelhorn, and trumpet with harmon mute.  Though this first section has two distinct phrases in an AABA form, the following solo section (featuring Dan Parker, bass, and Xavier Galdon, trombone) is played over a contrasting chord progression (borrowing the five chords from the intro) and form.  After a short return of both parts of the main melodic material, the music radically changes directions and veers into a brash and ominous symphonic march.  This second section is driven by a solo snare drum, and it also features thick brass writing.  Soprano sax solos over a stripped-down version of this groove with no chordal instruments, and this is interrupted by new material that is even more aggressive.  These interjections foreshadow the third and final section, which features a pummeling rock groove, symphonic writing for the winds, and even a dissonant circus waltz.  This builds to a point of climactic explosion in the brass, which tapers away to reveal a woodwind chorale coda taken from the beginning.

- John Dorhauer, Musical Director, Heisenberg Uncertainty Players, Adjunct Professor and Freelance Composer at Elmhurst College and Roosevelt University

With John’s road map to Emergency Postcards as my guide, I listened to the music on this CD with a new awareness and appreciation.

You have to work on being receptive to it to do justice to the talent these young Jazz musicians bring to playing it.

This is Jazz in the 21st century: these players hear the music differently. The music of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Players takes from the Jazz tradition while at the same time synthesizing influences and inspirations from disparate, contemporary musical sources – something that Jazz has done throughout it existence.

But if you make the effort to “get into it” in much the same manner that you made the effort going from swing to bop to hard bop to modal Jazz and unusual time signatures to Free Jazz to Jazz-Rock fusion, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Players will reward such efforts by moving your ears in different directions and by putting a big smile on your face.

The late, eminent Jazz author, Whitney Balliett once described Jazz as – “The Sound of Surprise.”

Trust me the Heisenberg Uncertainty Players’ Emergency Postcards CD is chock full of surprises.

As has always been the case, it takes a lot of courage, hard work and dedication to play Jazz. The music is rarely accompanied by a broad-based popular approval.

You play Jazz for the love of it and for the inner satisfaction that comes from achieving something that is not easily attainable.

Did I mention that it was hard to play this stuff?

The Heisenberg Uncertainty Players website can be located at www.huplayers.com. The site includes order information for the Emergency Postcards CD, biographies of the various band members, videos and an itinerary of the band’s appearances.


The Heisenberg Uncertainty Players on Emergency Postcards are –

John Dorhauer: Director
Tim Koelling: [Lead] Alto sax, Soprano sax
Kelley Dorhauer: Alto sax, Clarinet
Adam Frank: Tenor sax
Vinny Starble: Tenor sax, Flute
James Baum: Baritone sax
Luke Malewicz: [Lead] Trombone
Phil Arquette: Trombone
Xavier Galdon: Trombone
Steve Duncan: Bass Trombone
Tom Klein: [Lead] Trumpet
Andrew Ecklund: Trumpet
Jen Marshall: Trumpet
Jenni Szczerbinski: Trumpet
Chris Parsons: Guitar
Carl Kennedy: Piano
Dan Parker: Acoustic, Electric Bass
Keith Brooks: Drums

Here’s a video of the Heisenberg Uncertainty Players performing Cactus Fruit, which is a straight-ahead burner with a terrific sax soli that kicks in at 1:54 minutes, between a lively trumpet solo by Andrew Ecklund and a fine tenor solo by Adam Frank. Dan Parker on bass and Keith Brooks on drums really boot things along on this one.


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