Bloom/Helias/Previte: 2.3.23 (digital outlets)

Saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom and bassist Mark Helias have been on something of a roll lately with their 2021 album Some Kind of Tomorrow (one of that year's best at Elsewhere).

Elsewhere singled out her duet of the same year Tues Days with drummer Allison Miller and also the earlier Wild Lines with Helias, pianist Dawn Clement and drummer Bobby Previte where they improvised on poems by Emily Dickinson (read by actress Deborah Rush).

Bloom, Miller, Helias and koto player Miya Masaoka were also nominated for a Grammy (best immersive audio album) for last year's Picturing the Invisible.

Here with longtime musical companion Helias, and Previte once more -- recorded in the Covid period -- Bloom/Helias improvised at a distance with co-producer Helias sending their work to Previte who then added his parts.

Not that you might guess this was remote recording, such is the mutual understanding between the separate players.

There is beauty here (the slightly whimsical but deep Why, You Ask), wit (the cheeky filagrees of Checkpoint and shifts in Akimbo) and meditative pieces (The Call Back). But also an astringency on Where the World Went with Helias playing dark, scraping arco.

There's a touch of noir on Gumshoe. 

Previte's playing doesn't just anchor some of these improvisations but in many places adds a colouristic dimension (Room to Imagine).

Albums with Bloom's name on them have seldom failed to engage Elsewhere's attention for their breadth, pure improvisation and melodic dexterity.

This is another entrancing and enjoyably challenging but personable album from a woman, now closing in on 70, whose career is well worth tracing backwards from this typically excellent collection.

She will surprise and delight you.

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You can hear and buy this album at bandcamp here