Hotel Pupik

Londons Led Bib were a quintet for 22 years. During that time, they established a well-founded reputation as architects of the rather short-lived anarchic jazz movement. Keyboardist Toby McLaren was a founding member and a co-architect of the bands sound. He left after 2017s Umbrella Weather and was temporarily replaced by Elliott Galvin on 2019s Its Morning. Following a tour, drummer Mark Holub, bassist Liran Donin, and saxophonists Pete Grogan and Chris Williams, decided to tour as a four-piece. It proved difficult. Led Bib returned to Cuneiform for Hotel Pupik. It was written for quartet and plays to the groups strengths as composers (tunes were written by three members) improvisers, arrangers, and gifted, instinctive instrumentalists. "Iron Ore" was composed by Donin. Holubs frenetic snare and tom-tom introduce them and the saxophonists in full drone, with effects employed by the bassist. A John Coltrane-esque tenor phrase emerges, punctuated by a chaotic force. Its rumbling metal chaos is taut when juxtaposed against out modal jazz and swirling noise. Holubs "A Tin Teardrop" offers a long intro thats a near-lullaby for vanguard jazz. Whispering cymbals and a slow, circular modal tenor phrase are appended by rolling basslines, as a second sax emerges to offer tense contrapuntal lines while Holub begins roaming and crashing around the others. Though its dynamics and textures grow more broodingly intense, the tempo, despite Holubs triple-timing, holds, adding force and resonance. The haunted lyric harmony in "Dawn Chorus" meets restrained drones and overtones as Donin and Holub maintain and elongate the tension. The first three-and-a-half minutes of "Transient Weaving" prove the tune a dissonantly harmonic ballad with the saxophonists in restrained tonal interplay. The last two minutes find the rhythm section ratcheting up the drama as the saxophonists layer middle- and high-register lines in unison before playing at one another in resolve. In places, "Pure O" resembles an early AACM exercise, its softly articulated dynamics offer solace and space before the horn players engage in an Albert Ayler-esuqe duel supported by Donins elliptical bassline and Holubs snare heavy attack. The title track spends over 12 minutes confounding listener expectations. Commencing, like its predecessors, in an abstract ballad, its subtle yet constant activity evolves until the tenor and alto saxophones dialogue in a similar pulsing manner to Coltrane and Pharoah Sanders on "The Holy Ghost." That said, a bluesy mode colors the foreground as each saxist solos; the remaining phases are led by various members with Donin the hub around which the music flows. Holubs funky, rockist "Til Next Time" closes the set. Its structured around a circular melodic bass vamp, whispering snares, and saxophones in a gorgeous, minimal folk melody. While Hotel Pupik isnt as noisy or skronky as Led Bibs earlier efforts, its maturity and vision reveal astonishing growth for this veteran ensemble. Theyve learned how to trust and lean on one another inside the usual maelstrom. While this music is somewhat different dynamically and texturally, the compositions and collective improvisations are more creatively satisfying. ~ Thom Jurek