Daniel Carter, William Parker, Federico Ughi

2024 stock. That’s right, Carter plays piano on this date! It’s the first thing heard as this disc kicks immediately into definite but mature overdrive. It’s a blast to hear William Parker, bassist for Cecil Taylor’s much-lauded Feel Trio, free-walking under Carter’s percussive attacks, certainly indebted to Taylor but even more pointalistic. The case is made on “Zero Softly”, a spare minimalist musing where notes hang in the air like galaxies only to fade beneath Federico Ughi’s carpet of brushwork. Indeed many of the tracks fade in and out, more like dreams in that conclusion are uncertain, if they exist at all.

The program is astonishing in its breath and scope and this trio keeps each tracks fresh throughout with sudden instrument switches. Check out “Notorious”, with its proto-swing suddenly slowing down as Parker jumps from bass to tuba, sliding effortlessly into the dialogue. Group interaction is fantastic throughout, without a weak combination in evidence here. It’s especially nice to hear Ughi is a more traditional context, combining the timbral savvy of Tony Oxley with the controlled power of Rashied Ali. The assumption is that the pieces were taken from larger improvisations and word is that there will be a second volume issued from this session. If it is equally edited and programmed, it will certainly be worth the wait!