Okuden Quartet: Mat Walerian/Matthew Shipp/William Parker/Hamid Drake: “Magic World Pt. 3 – Life”
Polish multi-instrumentalist Mat Walerian was brought to ESP-Disk’s attention by New York avant-jazz piano icon Matthew Shipp; Walerian’s first ESP release, a duo with Shipp Live at Okuden, was the last new project approved by legendary ESP founder Bernard Stollman before his passing in 2015.
On the funky “Magic World Pt. 3 – Life,” Walerian plays bass clarinet, using the instrument’s whole range and a wide variety of timbres, bouncing from lower to higher registers, he mutates the track’s catchy theme while the rhythm section of Shipp, bassist William Parker, and drummer Hamid Drake lay down a kaleidoscopic groove.
The Big Takeover is happy to host the premiere of “Magic World Pt. 3 – Life” from Every Dog Has Its Day But It Doesn’t Matter Because Fat Cat Is Getting Fatter.
On Walerian’s fourth release as a leader (all on ESP-Disk’), he is also heard on alto saxophone, soprano clarinet, and flute. Some tracks are more “out” than “Life,” moving into free-form improvisation.
Every Dog Has Its Day But It Doesn’t Matter Because Fat Cat Is Getting Fatter drops July 31.
