The Moment in Bloomington, MN

On
The Moment
, founding
AACM
sax player
Kalaparush
is accompanied by a much younger (and quite able) rhythm section formed of tuba player
Jesse Dulman
and drummer
Ravish Momin
. The tuba is a paradoxical instrument in
jazz
. Notoriously difficult to play and a lot less flexible than the double bass, it nevertheless conveys a sense of joy and fun like no other instrument. What you lose in precision (listen to
Dulman
's solo introduction to
"Irene Calypso"
) you gain in momentum and festive spirit. Which means that
works best in the fast-paced, groovy numbers and gets precarious in slower, more introspective tunes like
"I Don't Have an Answer, Unless It's God."
plays his horn
style, with spirit, fire, grace, and a strong melodic sense. Recorded on November 30, 2001, at
Entropy Studios
, in front of a small but appreciative audience, this live set begins with
"Hangin' By a Threadgil"
(obviously dedicated to
Henry Threadgill
), a lively piece that immediately establishes how well
has aged and how much fun he's having playing with younger cats. But the undisputed highlight of the album is
"Big Coltrane Indian Man,"
a ferocious tune in which
Momin
gets a feature spot and literally brings the house down. His polyrhythmic playing borrows something from the frenzy of a tabla player without ever leaving the
realm. His drums propel the trio to a peak of excitement that is alone worth the price of admission. One wishes that
's on-stage banter had been better recorded or left out, since one can barely make out his words, but otherwise this is one of the great
albums of 2003. ~ Francois Couture