APEX

I saw Bunky Green several times in Chicago's Jazz Showcase. He killed then and he kills here on this album. Rudresh Mahanthappa is new to me, but obviously talented. The two make a great team here.This is adventurous music. I love the romping forward looking improvisations displayed here. But the person who steals the show for me, is another Chicago native. Good ole Jack DeJohnette once again kills it in support of the soloists. He elevates, bouys, and pushes the songs to another level. Man... I wished I could see him live more often, but he seldom comes to LA. (he does make an almost annual showing with the Standards trio with Keith Jarrett. But I prefer DeJohnette outside that trio).So buy it for the altoists, the grooves of Jack... and play it again and again and... Good times...

Great interplay between Mahanthappa and Green, stellar rhythm section performances (this is another great album featuring Jason Moran), and a varied and pretty memorable set of tunes - this album has a lot going for it. It's also one of the best sequenced albums of instrumental music that I've heard in a while. It makes you feel like you've gone on a journey, with a beginning, middle and satisfying ending. You've got to see these guys live to fully appreciate what they're doing, but this recording will get you most of the way there.

Terrific

Overview:On Apex alto sax players Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green team up with a cast of all stars to create the best avant garde jazz CD of 2010. Green and Mahanthappa have similar styles in that they both frequently let loose with explosive solo runs. While their phrasing is amazing similar, their tones couldn't be more different. Green sports a traditional post bop tone, while Mahanthappa plays with an abrasive accented tone. Their distinct tones really work well in the album as they often have dual melody lines, or simultaneous solos that snake in and out of each other, and their unique voices make it easy to follow what each musician is playing. Mahanthappa and Green are joined by an unbelievable cast of musicians. First you've got Jason Moran on piano, the premiere piano player in 2010 (see my review on his release "Ten" for more details). Next you've got legendary drummer Jack Dejohnette on drums on 4 of the 10 tracks and Damion Reid on the other 6 tracks. The band is rounded out by bassist Francois Moutin (Martial Solal's long time bassist). When I first heard about the CD and the lineup I had high expectations. Here's a case where a stellar band was assembled, and everyone delivered and the results are outstanding. It takes a few listens to take it all in. The music is constantly taking off in different directions, and you've got to pay attention or you'll get lost. It does not make for good background music. This is the type of music where you want to put on your head phones, block everything else out, and follow all the tangents, subtle nuances, and sudden change in directions, and some of the best soloing of 2010.Song Highlights:The Journey - Moutin opens up with a monster solo statement on the bass. Green and Mahanthappa then do a call and answer section based loosely around an "eastern" sounding riff. After that section Moran has short piano solo that leads into a Mahanthappa solo, followed by a Green solo.Who? - This song begins with Mahanthappa and Green soloing simultaneously. After that there is an "off time" section where everyone is playing a staccato riff, all a little bit out of sync (on purpose). This leads into a very free section with a great solo by Green. Another "off time" section leads into a Moran solo, then a Mahanthappa solo. All of the solos have a free feeling. Mahanthappa's solo has some crazy piano and drum backing by Moran and Dejohnette. Throughout the whole thing Moutin is dropping in perfect notes, and sections of occasional walking bass lines. Finally Dejohnette gets rewarded with some solo time on the drums. There are always several interesting things happening simultaneously on this song, perhaps that's where the name "Who" comes from. It's hard to keep track of who is doing what.Playing With Stones - This song opens with a Moutin bass line. It's got a nice melody line and is perhaps more "post bop" in style then the rest of the album. There is just a great piano solo by Moran on this album, my favorite of the CD.Highly recommended. There are endless hidden treasures here.

Very random stuff; lots of jamming with seemingly little direction. Almost returned it but am trying to appreciate it. Good sonics.Update: I gave it away.

I know Rudresh's music having collected most of his CDs and heard him live. I however had only vaguely heard of Bunky Green Reading the previews to the album and Bunky's credentials I was encouraged to pursue more and to my amazement I discovered Bunky as one of those nearly lost treasures of the alto saxophoneThis album is a path breaker, the kind of recording that sticks out among thousands that pile up in the stores and online each year. It has all the elements of a jazz classic;the lineup,the genre,the styles,the raw energy,the innovation exploding out from a platform of postbop.This is the kind of jazz which should enthuse the fringe listener, make the hard core listener sit up and plug in like he hasnt in a long time and bring back the lost listener. So dont hesitate to grab it

This is by far my favorite jazz album of all time, even when compared to Kind of Blue. I can't listen to very many albums over and over and still enjoy them, but Apex has been one of those few. I love Rudresh Mahanthappa's work, as well as both Jason Moran and Jack DeJohnette by themselves, so when I heard about this recording, I got it right away. I hadn't heard of Bunky Green, but his style complements Mahanthappa's very well. I much prefer this recording of "Playing with Stones" than the one on Mahanthappa's album, "Samdhi."The best parts of this album is the idea that it's dictated almost exactly, but it seems like one extended solo. It's often tough to tell where a head ends and a solo begins, but this is where jazz should be. Since the 50s, jazz has become more niche and more exciting, leading into different genres and styles. This album, though, is the culmination of what 70 or so years of jazz has become.

One of the best jazz recordings of the year! Great energy all around. I saw them in concert and it was great too. Rudresh is his usual amazing self and Bunky sure hasn't lost much in his many years. I've listened to this many times over and enjoy it even more all the time.