| Discography of Joe Fonda | 1999 |
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Lineup
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Recorded March 10 & 11, 1999 by Marc D. Rusch at The Spirit Room, Rossie, NY, USA
Produced by Robert D. Rusch
Cover art by Kara D. Rusch
Released 1999 by CIMP [198]
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| Liner Notes by Robert D. Rusch - March 11, 1999 [ → CD Reviews ]
Joe Fonda (Amsterdam, NY, 1954) has a great enthusiasm and it's been my observation over the past couple of years that he lets little interrupt that enthusiasm for very long. If Joe is in the house, good times will be had. This group arrived in the mid-afternoon following a 6 1/2 hour drive and, without any prompting, set up, corralled Marc, worked out the sound balance, and were set to play before supper. Supper was consumed. Even so, the group managed to roll away from the table and the recording session was under way by 8 p.m. And while some of the material was not up to the level of the soundchecks (often the case for a first set), before the night was over, inspired performances on Full Circle Suite and Next Step were captured. After "Next Step" Joe called the session for the evening; he had developed considerable blisters on his right hand. Kevin Norton (Brooklyn, NY, 1956) continued to work out on the drums, more pent-up than fatigued, while Taylor Ho Bynum (Baltimore, MD, 1975), Chris Jonas (Newport Beach, CA, 1966), and Gebhard Ullman (Bad Godesberg, Germany, 1957) made an immediate retreat to the food. The next morning we were back at it by 9:30 a.m., opening with It's Good To Know You, a concept piece, according to Joe, which appeared to have no concept, at least not one obtrusive to the music. Following that, a return, for a second take, was made to Full Circle Suite. This composition (the music is a rather elaborate drawing/notation) is inspired by the medicine wheel with entrances and exits on the North, East, South, and West sides and with the encouragement to deal musically with meaningful things in one's life. For the most part, to me, it suggests struggle and reconciliation, an episodic journey with very specific points of reference in the mind/heart juxtaposition. Both takes were wonderful features for the intense percussive drumming that is Kevin Norton's style. Its lengthy development is a dynamic set-up for its cathartic climax. It is quite the centerpiece and the issued take here is take 1 (not an easy choice). A break followed "Full Circle" and the date was finished up with Deconstructed Borrowed Time (take 3 is issued here) and To Bob's House. Joe's been working professionally since around 1971 and has a solid record of accomplishment, but in the mid '90s, I think, he began to move into more of a master's position; his bass work took on a depth and his musical conception matured. Joe's not a flashy guy and has never been the flavor-of-the-month with either the writers or corporate sponsors. He's labored in relative obscurity in the role of journeyman Jazz artist and, for me, the emergence of his musical personality has been a pleasant surprise and one which kind of snuck up on me. For years Joe has, in his understated way, suggested that we work together on projects, but it wasn't until his work with David Bindman's Trio (CIMP 151) and Mark Whitecage's Other Quartet (CIMP 157) that I really began to focus on his work. It was also around this time that Joe issued some fine work on the Belgian label DeWerf. For whatever reason, when Joe sent me a demo of this group I was ready to listen, liked what I heard and, after this session, am even more convinced we are both on the right track. I kid Joe about his rather amorphous verbalization of his "concepts," but, even though this group is made up of strong individuals (some with already extensive established careers, others on the bud), the music here really reflects a group cooperative executing the leader's vision. And the ensemble quality produces music whose best reward is as whole cloth, not for its parts, as fine as those parts may be. Enjoy the whole. All liner notes written by Robert D. Rusch:
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CD Reviews
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By Derek Taylor for All About Jazz Like the majority of his peers Joe Fonda has spent a large segment of his career on the fringes of public recognition, plying his skills resolutely and biding his time with a patience that would sour far sooner in the case of many musicians. Rewarding posts with the likes of Anthony Braxton and Mark Whitecage sustained his resolve and as this disc illustrates he's still going strong with no signs of flagging. Full Circle Suite is demanding on a host of levels- the compositions/improvisations are lengthy and the players possess a concurrent intelligence and acumen that assures that intensely challenging roads will be trodden. But like any musical mollusk, whose carapace is tough to crack, the sweet meat contained within these dense offerings will leave you craving more. And any warning for the faint of heart will no doubt go unheeded by listeners who know these players well anyway. In attendance for this safari of swirling sounds are a colorful assortment of improvisers from startlingly diverse backgrounds. Jonas is rapidly becoming one of the premiere stylists on his instrument as the recent The Sun Spits Cherries so succinctly demonstrated. Boston-based Ho Bynum is generating similar stature on his array of brass. German-born Ullmann, a master of numerous reeds, opts to focus his attentions solely on bass clarinet. For his part, Norton is no stranger to the cozy confines of the Spirit Room Fonda's bass lines are a blur of string punishing strength, often so rapidly conceived as to be numbing in their potency. All of these combustible agents detonate on Next Step and keep a bonfire burning through the closing Deconstructed Borrowed Time. The former piece opens at a galloping clip thanks to Norton and Fonda who hammer out a breakneck fusillade of rhythms. The horns dart and weave at blinding speeds around these obstacles before the momentum dissolves in an interlude of small percussion. Eventually the opening theme arrives again taking the piece out in a vortex of centripetal lines. The disc's title piece, which takes its inspiration from the Native American medicine wheel and the directional points of the compass, clocks in at nearly thirty minutes. The interlocking sections of the piece feature all kinds of instrumental interactions replete with highly individualized solos from most of the players. Overall the track is a little tough to take and requires a concentrated ear to discern the ways in which the pieces finally fit together into a cohesive whole. It's Good To Know You is largely a feature for Ullman who crafts a cartoon-like atmosphere of twisting, burnished lines in concert with a muted Ho Bynum and an angular Jonas. A quiet beginning on To Bob's House swiftly gains volume sounding like a march of a motley band of minstrels through some primordial forest. Fonda's wordless moaning vocals couple with his resonating bass strings and Norton's tinkling bells adding an umbrella of mystery to the strange journey. Fonda may not have the mainstream jazz press in his pocket, but with projects as consistently fascinating as this one in his corner who says he needs them? Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 All About Jazz and Derek Taylor. All reviews written by Derek Taylor:
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Steven Loewy for All Music Guide Bassist Joe Fonda has led some successful groups through the years that rely on a healthy mixture of cutting-edge compositions and free-style improvisation. Full Circle Suite is his best effort yet, in part due to a top-rate and extremely compatible quintet with Gebhard Ullmann on bass clarinet, Chris Jonas on soprano saxophone, Taylor Ho Bynum on trumpet, and Kevin Norton on drums. The music sizzles, with Bynum spitting phrases like a Singer sewing machine, the reeds interlocking, Norton powering the engine, and Fonda modestly, though diligently, holding it all together. Collective improvisation fades in and out, while individuals spring forth and fade and compositional lines emerge from the shadows. At times, there is the feel of Ornette's Free Jazz, but it is clearly stamped with Fonda's vision. Reprinted with permission. Copyright © 2006 All Media Guide, LLC and Steven Loewy. All reviews written by Steven Loewy:
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