March

“Pack Up, Coming for You”

(Firehouse 12)

For his second recording with his Triple Double ensemble, drummer and composer Tomas Fujiwara wanted to capture the immediacy of the classic jazz sessions that he and his bandmates revere. His established relationships with these musicians were rooted in trust, so he knew they would be up to the challenge of seeing and playing the music for the first time in the studio and delivering dynamic performances. His trust was well founded, as can be heard on the recently released March (Firehouse 12). The opening track, “Pack Up, Coming for You,” introduces the mix-and-match methodology employed throughout the album, as cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, guitarist Mary Halvorson and Fujiwara work through an anxious theme that grows increasingly intense before they hand over the proceedings to their twin trio (trumpeter Ralph Alessi, guitarist Brandon Seabrook and drummer Gerald Cleaver). The mirrored ensembles then combine forces for the riotous conclusion. As the album’s title alludes, the music is meant to convey a sense of urgency during uneasy times, as well as a hopefulness that things can get better when people take action to make them so.