Clean Feed Records: CF121 
http://www.cleanfeed-records.com/disco2.asp?intID=259

* Jon Irabagon: saxophone
* Kris Davis: piano
* Reuben Radding: double bass
* Jeff Davis: drums
 
http://www.jonirabagon.com/ 
http://www.krisdavis.net/ 
http://www.reubenradding.com/ 
http://www.jeffdavisdrums.com/

Review
~~~~~~

by Stef

I am not too familiar with the way in which musicians work with labels, or how
long it takes before they can get their material released, but I am perplexed
that pianist Kris Davis manages to release two albums within a few months time
on two different labels, and more importantly, that both are of a very high
qualitative level. The RIDD Quartet further consists of Jeff Davis on drums, Jon
Irabagon on sax and Reuben Radding on bass. This album is not unlike "Rye
Eclipse", although it is more transparent, more accessible, less urgent in its
need to tell the story as its predecessor. Many of the compositions have the
same abstract and emotional quality of her other recent album. But this is of
course a quartet album, not Kris Davis and band. Jon Irabagon I find a
revelation on this album. To be honest, I thought his "Outright" album, released
earlier this year, was a little over-ambitious, yet here his tone, free lyricism
and emotional drive are excellent, not of the same level of Malaby, though, but
really strong. Radding is as good as we know him and so is Jeff Davis, and both
complement each other well. The second track, "Sky Circles", starts out quite
slowly and gentle, yet it gradually starts building intensity and
momentum. Whether it's slow emotional explorations as on the title track (which
does not sound like an avalanche at all, by the way), or a more intense and raw
approach as on the beginning "The Eye And The Telescope", the four musicians
manage to have a quite unique coherent and creative angle, with introspective
and expansive moods alternating, exploring sound interactions and rhythmic
invention. The stylistical elements used are subtle : repetitive piano string
pluckings, or repetitive sax phrases, come and go, as do melodies and themes,
and so does the volume, and the instruments, but all very subtly, creating
slight differences and changes, nothing abrupt, yet full of little surprises
that make this quite a great listen. I like it a lot!