MARK O'LEARY — Live In Istanbul (review)

MARK O'LEARY — Live In Istanbul album cover Live album · 2010 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
js
Mark O’Leary is an avant-garde guitarist who has played with a virtual who’s who of other avant-garde artists over the years, and since the beginning of this century, has been turning out a steady stream of recordings under his own name. “Live in Istanbul” features O’Leary fronting a quartet that includes Omer Can Uygen on trumpet and electronics, Murat Copur on bass and electronics and Senoi Kucukyildirim on drums. This recorded concert is split into four sections on the CD, with each section having its own sound and direction, but there is no discernable break between sections, they run together as one long improvised avant-garde jam.

This concert opens with low volume buzzing electronics and metallic sounds with Uygen’s trumpet occasionally floating on top, it sounds like a quiet Stockhausen piece back when his son Marcus would play trumpet with him. As they shift into the second section the drums enter with a quiet shifting abstract post-bop beat recalling Paul Motian. At this point O’Leary unleashes his formidable technique on guitar with a relaxed and distant reverb heavy sound. O’Leary sounds a bit like Terje Rypdal, and when Uygen joins him on trumpet, there is a similarity to Rypdal’s work with Palle Mikkelborg. As we move into section three, the band picks up in intensity, but still seems to have a certain laid back sound along the lines of the old ECM avant-garde sides. Everything breaks down for the last section and the band drops into a quiet exchange of atonal lounge riffs. Again the band builds on this idea before bringing things to a close.

“Live in Istanbul” is not your typical semi-free jazz blowout. Much of this concert is fairly quiet, and even at full tilt this band still seems to keep their cool. If you are looking for abstract free jazz with an almost lounge/chill room sensibility, this is it.
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