Consisting of saxophonist Mette Rasmussen, pianist Craig Taborn, and drummer Ches Smith, Weird of Mouth can’t be anything but a free improvisational jazz trio. And so they are on their self-titled debut. Likely recorded in as much time as it takes to listen to it, Weird of Mouth follows their own instincts down paths not taken, letting the melodies and rhythms flow freely. But not independently – a song like the rough-and-tumble “Planisphere” may sound like unorganized chaos, but it’s clear that the players are listening to each other and (re)acting accordingly. Pieces such as “Existension,” “Wolf Cry,” and “Proven Right, Then Left, Then Right” are more about exploration – of the world, the stars, the mind, the soul – than they are about noise. That makes Weird of Mouth a strange journey, but one on which we are welcome to enjoy the ride.
