Jon Irabagon

“Foxy”

(Hot Cup Records 102)

Jon Irabagon is quickly establishing a reputation as one of America’s finest young saxophonists. Equally proficient on both tenor and alto saxophones he has a healthy respect for the tradition, yet is just as likely to be found subverting it at the same time.

Irabagon is perhaps best known as a member of bassist Moppa Elliott’s group Mostly Other People Do The Killing, a band that takes an obvious delight in exactly the kind of paradoxes outlined above on albums such as “This Is Our Moosic” and the more recent “Forty Fort”. (Tim Owen reviews the latter elsewhere on this site).

Besides his work with MOPDTK Irabagon has also been carving out a career as a solo artist on the very different albums “Outright” (Innova Records), “I Don’t Hear Nothin’ But The Blues” (Loyal Label) and the recent “The Observer”, a more mainstream release on Concord Jazz with Irabagon mainly playing alto. “The Observer” is reviewed by myself elsewhere on this site.

The first thing that strikes the listener about “Foxy” is just how different it sounds to the coolly elegant “The Observer”. The album appears on Moppa Elliott’s Hot Cup label, the home of MOPDTK and is far closer to the parent group’s approach. The cover mimics both Sonny Rollins classic album “Way Out West” and the casual sexism of many 60s and 70s record sleeves, visual jokes are very much part of MOPDTK’s stock in trade. As for the music Irabagon is heard on tenor throughout as part of a trio that also includes bassist Peter Brendler and veteran drummer/percussionist Barry Altschul, a legendary figure through his work with Anthony Braxton, Chick Corea’s Circle group and many others.

“Foxy” is an exploration of the sixteen bar form and is a single eighty minute performance subsequently split up into twelve sections with titles like “Roxy”, “Boxy” and “Moxie”, you get the picture. The nomenclature recalls MOPDTK’s sense of humour and is doubtless inspired by the Rollins classic “Doxy”, the one variant that doesn’t appear here, whilst the musical approach is reminiscent of Irabagon’s second album “I Don’t Hear Nothin’ But The Blues”, a series of duets with drummer Mike Pride on which Irabagon explored recurring motifs and also stuck exclusively to tenor.

“Foxy” is pretty much a ball of energy from start to finish with Irabagon referencing saxophone icons like Rollins, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker. Irabagon’s indefatigable playing is a feat of considerable physical resourcefulness and much the same could be said for his colleagues. Altschul’s volcanic, technically brilliant polyrhythmic drumming packs a punch that belies his sixty seven years and Brendler’s bass playing is similarly brilliant, powerful and propulsive and utilising a variety of techniques.

It’s mostly heads down blowing and despite the subtle rhythmic shifts there’s little variation in mood or pace. After a while there’s a tendency for the listener to become exhausted even though it’s obvious that the band have plenty of mileage in them yet. No doubt this kind of performance would be viscerally exciting if witnessed in a jazz club or even a concert hall but over the course of an album the sheer relentlessness of the music often becomes wearing.

It’s tempting to view “Foxy” as an academic exercise or an elaborate joke but the sheer urgency of the playing ensures that the album is much more than this. Yes, there are subtle stylistic shifts as signposted by the various sections listed on the cover, “jump swing” on “Biloxi”, “bitonal improvising” on “Unorthodoxy” and so on. The humour comes via quotes from standards (Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered”, “Would You Like To Swing On A Star” and others) , the relative simplicity of “Foxy (Radio Edit)” and the bewilderingly abrupt ending of the closing “Moxie”.

The technical excellence and sheer intensity of the music here demands that it be taken seriously. There’s no doubt that Irabagon is developing into one of the most important saxophonists of his generation, effortlessly hopping between styles from the relatively straight ahead to the avant garde.

Having commented that I found parts of “The Observer” rather too smooth I now find myself remarking that it’s immediate successor is too uncompromising and intense. I suspect that this particular album may be rather more up Tim Owen’s street than mine but as far as Irabagon is concerned we do find common ground with regard to the excellent MOPDTK. Irabagon is a perplexing and enigmatic artist but, I’m sure that he wouldn’t have it any other way.   

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