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DOWNTOWNMUSIC-NEWYORK/June 2006
Sketches From the Other Side, For A.I.
Herb Robertson/The Space Cadets
By Michael Anton Parker-Downtownmusic NYServing as the auspicious debut of Herb Robertson and Ana Isabel Ordonez's collaborative Ruby Flower Records, this disc presents two suites recorded in October 2005 by the powerhouse trio of Herb Robertson (trumpet, cornet), Frank Gratkowski (alto sax, bass clarinet, clarinet, contrabass clarinet), and Julien Petit (tenor and bari sax). The music is partially improvised and partially notated at the hand of Robertson, whose ingenious sense of long-form strategy was also documented recently on the magnificent Downtown All-Stars disc with Berne, Rainey, Courvoisier, and Dresser. What strikes me most here is the utter precision of each tone and phrase; instead of passionate wild blowing these cats turn their passion inwards to nurse the details of conventional, rich timbres and
coordinated phrases that feel calculated with a protracter.The pay off is clarity, elegance,and the sheer sumptuousness of the instruments in the mouths and handsof masters. The harmonies are sustained and rarely sound accidental, sometimes coming out as sweet as the hook in a classic soul tune, especially on "A.I.'s Theme" with Gratkowski's contrabass clarinet sounding as cosmic and clean as a vintage synth.
There are minor departures into thrilling extended techniques and sassy grooves, and in the oddity department we get a jarring and unwelcome, but very brief semi-rap vocal outburst, with another tiny shouted word snippet at the end of the disc a few minutes later that's a bit more palatable. All told, it's a nearly perfect blend of Boulez, Ellington, and Hemphill with enough depth to reward the most demanding wind connoisseur. Robertson's own words nail down the essence of the disc: "...an abstract blues felt recording with touches of pointillism and lyricism to boot! Three wind instruments... the breath of life... the prana..."
www.downtownmusicgallery.com---
ALLABOUTJAZZ-NEW YORK/ June 2006
Sketches From the Other Side, For A.I.
Herb Robertson/The Space Cadets
(Ruby Flower)
By Sean Fitzell-AAJNY
Despite his identifiable, idiosyncratic sound andhighly creative output, trumpeter Herb Robertson is often overlooked. Perhaps this is a consequence of the seeming paucity of leader releases since his time on JMT. But this may change, as he forays into the realm of artist-run labels with Sketches from the Other Side, For A.I., the inaugural release of his Ruby Flower imprint. It’s an ambitious premier, pairing his trumpet and cornet with Frank Gratkowski’s clarinets and alto sax and Julien Petit’s
tenor and baritone saxophones for two extended suites. Without a rhythm section, the horns are responsible for keeping time and shapingthe music. Even more, the session was recorded in a single continuous take without pauses or edits. The 6-part namesake composition unfoldscontemplatively, the trio extemporaneously orbiting each other as they wade toward the thematic material. “A.I.’s Theme” features a lolling unison, punctuated by Robertson’s blasts as Gratkowski anchors the suite on bass clarinet. The composition, and the improvisation that emerges, is generally subdued and patient. But there are frenzied moments and dynamic group interplay. On “Geometric Entities” the melodic line jumps between the players, each extrapolating before passing it along, while the long-held notes of the minimal “Spectrum of Petals” set up a spare whispered solo by Robertson. The “Etiology Suite” is more immediate and shorter, with only 4 partsclocking in at about 12 minutes. Petit takes the bottom line on bari sax, unleashing Gratkowski’s incendiary alto. Extended techniques dominate “Coming to Terms”, which segues into the strained, almost dissonant “Closing In”. An infectious bari groove emerges from the chaos for the final two movements - setting up Robertson’s humorous psychedelic vocals, a Gratkowski torrent and another spry trumpet flight. Sketches illustrates Robertson’s prowess as a performer: from soft lyricism and tight ensemble playing to boisterous free improvisations, a vivid opening salvo for his new label.
www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=21779
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ALLABOUTJAZZ-LOS ANGELES/ June 2006
Herb Robertson & The Space Cadets
Sketches From the Other Side, For A.I.
Ruby Flower Records
By Rex Butters-AAJLA
Long-time mainstay on the New York downtown and European improv scenes, trumpet tornado Herb Robertson joins with Dr. Ana Isabel Ordonez to launch Ruby Flower Records. The first bloom from the garden features a musical rough house featuring Robertson in trio with reed great Frank Gratkowski and Frenchman Julien Petit. Recording as Herb Robertson & The Space Cadets, they alert the listener that fun shouldn’t have to yield to freedom.Sketches From the Other Side, For A.I. draws on the trio’s vast musical background to weave recognizable thematic threads through surprising performances. With the longest of the 10 tracks around 7 minutes, these brief statements are indeed sketches with each potentized by the brevity. The title track allows the trio to gracefully circle in a dialogue. With Gratkowski on bass clarinet and Petit on tenor, “A.I.’s Theme” opens with a smoky elegant intro that flies apart only to coalescence at the end. Gratkowski play the bass clarinet line on “Blues for Ana Isabel”,while Robertson, uses an expressive mute and Petit phrases the tenor for jazz. The reeds breathe whispers behind Robertson’s flexible tones on “Spectrum of Petals”. Gratkowski rolls low, fat notes when the cornet drops back with the sax. They invest the minimal closing arrangement with delicacy. “Geometric Entities” brings more sharp corners into the playing with Petit’s multiphonics launching Gratkowski on clarinet. With the tenor and contrabass clarinet rumbling low, Robertson plunger mutes his way through “Strolling Through Deepness”. “Coming to Terms” features breathy extended techniques, while “Closing In” expands those ideas to include a R& B baritone from Petit. That baritone line leads into “Road Construction Machinery”, with Gratkowski joining on alto to create a back up for Robertson’s imaginative rap. Joining on trumpet, Robertson keeps the riff going, and then Gratkowski goes stratospheric. Returning to the groove, Gratkowski frees Robertson who blisters the horn.The excellent audio separation gives each voice clear presence. An auspicious debut for a label with its ears clearly in the right place.
www.allaboutjazz.com/losangeles--- JAZZREVIEW.COM /August 2006
Herb Robertson & The Space Cadets
Sketches From the Other Side, For A.I.
Ruby Flower Records
By Lorelei Clarke-Jazzreview.comThis album was recorded in a single, nearly hour-long session of almost consistent improvisation. Even without considering how mentally, physically and emotionally taxing that would be, this album is incredibly vivacious and intuitive. All ten compositions were written by band-leader Herb Robertson, divided into two suites: “Sketches from the Other Side, for A.I.” and the “Etiology” suite. Many of the songs in the first suite are based on blues, without playing them in the traditional form. There is some plunger work on “Blues for A.I.” which fits well, especially with the alto playing a counterpoint melody and the mellow baritone line. Other selections are based more on the use of the Frank Gratkowski’s clarinet, bass clarinet and contrabass clarinet to create aboriginal-like sounds, evoking a sense of primal heritage. “Strolling through Darkness” epitomizes this with its rhythmic chants. The low end of all three instruments is used, giving a sense of coming down to the solidity of Earth. The “Etiology” suite is more rhythmically based and has more rhythmic interplay between the three musicians. “Road Construction Machinery” is especially based on this. It also has Robertson doing vocals at the end of the selection, which is really the build up point of the suite. After that, it becomes a constant interplay, sometimes with two playing rhythmic lines and one voicing his thoughts, sometimes it’s antagonism between the groups and other times it’s back talk between just two. The alliances shift and change, always keeping the listener on their toes. Only the tempo is constant, as the mood changes slightly with each soloists input. The suite ends with “Solid State Lifeforms”, where all three dissolve the ordered rhythm that was had and blend back into the oblivion. The last thing on the track is Robertson shouting, “Solid State Lifeforms! We use you, but you need us! So stay out of our way! Keep it loose! Metronomic Bullsh**!” While this albums is definitely very challenging and avant garde, it also is done in good humor and very satirical. The complexity of the music makes it slightly difficult to understand the first time through, but a look into the liner notes explains in more depth
some of the inspirations for the music.
www.jazzreview.com --- EJAZZNEWS.COM /Monday, October 01, 2007
Herb Robertson with Evan Parker & Agusti Fernandez
Parallelisms
Ruby Flower Records
ByGlenn Astarita-Ejazznews.com
This trio came to fruition subsequent to the musicians’ involvement in bassist Barry Guy’s New Orchestra. To that end, this session pronounces a meeting of like-minded individuals with proven track records, who felt the synergy within Guy’s larger ensemble, and decided to engage in more intimate musical environs.
CD-2007 Ruby Flower Records
A multinational band, the artists’ respective bios speak proverbial volumes. At times subdued and relaxed, the musicians feed off each other’s spurious phrasings, while venturing into minimalist terrain on occasion via split tones and abbreviated blasts of energy. However, they generate some high-heat during the garrulous three-way exchanges heard on the title track, “Parallelisms.” And what makes this outing so enticing pertains to the respective instrumentalists’ distinct personas. The trio’s sports a very identifiable sound even by free-jazz standards. As they dig deep from within and by transferring a semblance of consummate exploration and impressionism into the listeners’ living space.
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