Railroaded!

Recorded live at The Stone in New York City on a sweltering July evening in 2009, The Veil is the debut of BB&C (also known as The Sons of Champignon), an acronym for alto saxophonist Tim Berne, drummer Jim Black and guitarist Nels Cline—veteran improvisers with a long history of collaboration. Cline first recorded with Berne in the early '80s, while Black was a member of Berne's revered '90s era Bloodcount quartet. Unfolding as a single uninterrupted long-form improvisation and encore, the date's indexing points and song-titles were created after the fact for convenience. Despite having no predetermined agenda or rehearsal, the set flows as seamlessly as if it were pre-composed—such is the intuitive accord of these three veterans.

It may or may not be a fact that jazz musicians age with grace and class. Perhaps someday we will understand this idea better. But in Miles Donahue’s case, the concept certainly bears out. His latest album, coming on the heels of The Bug (Whaling City Sound, 2017), Just Passing Thru is large in scope and beautiful in execution. From song to song, there are moments of tenderness, passages of grandeur, and fistfuls of exhilarating, technical wonder. He ventures out on a Celtic limb on “Ireland,” swings with verve on “Living Room Blues,” and demonstrates subtlety and passion on the opener, “A Man of Few Words.” Donahue, who is fluent on trumpet as well as tenor and soprano saxes, chooses notes boldly, exploring the full length of tonal potential. It is a joy to follow his risky explorations, as he makes his way through a labyrinth of unexpected turns. I