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Mineral Mind

by Igor Lumpert

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1.
Minerali 07:26
2.
Donaulande 08:56
3.
Expansion 04:53
4.
Perug 04:27
5.
6.
7.
1999 05:46
8.
Lake of life 05:39

about

Igor Lumpert- composer, saxophone
Sam Barsh- keys
Matt Brewer-double bass
Jamire Williams-drums


A powerhouse player, tenor saxophonist Igor Lumpert has made a strong impression on the New York jazz scene since arriving in town from his native Slovenia in 2000. As a followup to his auspicious debut, 2001’s Innertextures (with pianist Robert Glasper, bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Jonathan Blake), the 34-year-old tenor player showcases his robust sound and bold instincts in the company of keyboardist Sam Barsh, bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Jamire Williams on Mineral Mind. Together they exhibit an intimate, immediate chemistry on seven Lumpert originals, performed in a four-hour burst of intensive focus and purely organic flow. From the torrid opener, “Minerali” to the sublime “Peace for Children” to the blazing hard boppish closer “1999,” Lumpert acquits himself with a combination of chops, risk-taking and grace on his sophomore outing. And his stellar crew rises to the occasion collectively, helping the composer to realize his intricate, time-shifting pieces with clarity and rare precision.
The driving minor key opener “Minerali” is a perfect introduction to Lumpert’s torrid tenor work. A turbulent 5/4 vehicle which seamlessly shifts to 7/4 in the bridge, it is fueled by Williams’ crisp, polyrhythmic flair on the kit and also features a remarkable cascading piano solo by Barsh, which adds an ethereal, searching quality to the aggressive proceedings. The gently swinging waltz “Donaulande,” named for an outdoor promenade along the Danube River in Linz, Austria where Lumpert used to practice his horn during his time at the Bruckner Conservatory, is underscored by Williams’ brisk, interactive approach on the kit and by Barsh’s delicate touch on piano. Lumpert brings a husky tenor tone to this uplifting number while Brewer offers deep-toned contrapuntal lines throughout before breaking loose for a resounding solo of his own. And the tenor player seems to be channeling some internal Trane energy on the modal section near the end of this affecting piece.
The edgy “Expansion” opens with a forceful ostinato doubled by bassist Brewer and pianist Barsh. Williams’ slamming polyrhythms set the tone for this rhythmically deceptive piece with Barsh’s dissonant comping providing a certain M-Base-ish appeal. Lumpert unleashes some particularly powerful tenor work here while Barsh’s harmonically probing and rhythmically inventive solo lends some sparks to the tumultuous flow.
“Perug” (short for Perugia, a medieval city in central Italy that hosts a favorite summer jazz festival of Lumpert’s) is a more conventional uptempo swinger with some clever unisons and strict stop-time phrases which place the tune firmly in the hard bop camp. Brewer provides the forward momentum here with insistent walking bass lines against Williams’ syncopated pulse. Barsh leaps on this surging vehicle with a sense of joy and abandon, swinging while simultaneously pushing the envelope on his solo. And the piece wraps up in buoyant fashion with the tight unisons between tenor and piano against the intricate push and pull of the dynamic rhythm tandem.
“Visions”opens with a mesmerizing descending line that is strictly doubled by piano and tenor sax before the piece opens up to a loose, grooving midtempo swing feel. Lumpert bears down and blows angular lines with ferocity against the repeating fragment before Barsh begins exploring the harmonic fabric of the piece while maintaining the entrancing ostinato in his left hand. Williams gradually opens up on the kit during the course of Barsh’s remarkable solo, echoing the pianist’s energy and ideas with an inexhaustible supply of his own. For the last three minutes of this well-crafted suite-like piece, Lumpert blows with zen-like patience and uncommon lyricism over a dreamy half-time motif marked by Williams’ cymbal colorations and his dramatic use of mallets on the kit.
“Peace for Children” is a gently introspective number that opens with sparse unisons between bass and piano. Lumpert enters and states the plaintive theme (somewhat reminiscent of Wayne Shorter’s “Fall”) in measured tones as Williams supports with gently swinging brushwork. The tenor player stretches considerably on this evocative offering, exploring the full range of his horn while gracefully flowing over the bar line for a full three minutes before Barsh enters with another thoughtfully provocative piano solo.
The collection closes with a go-for-it vibe on “1999,” a piece that Lumpert composed ten years ago and has continued to play so much over the years in various settings that it’s become a kind of standard for him. This blazing rendition is paced by Brewer’s furiously uptempo walking bass lines and Williams’ interactive sizzle on the kit. A chops showcase for the Slovenian tower of power, it features Lumpert stretching heroically with robust tones on his tenor. Barsh gradually develops his piano solo on top of the surging pulse, building to a dynamic two-fisted crescendo of double-timed lines and nonchalant virtuosity before the band returns to the urgent head complete this potent hard boppish romp.
In 2002, when he was studying at the New School in New York with the likes of Chico Hamilton, Reggie Workman and Billy Harper, Lumpert was chosen to be part of the university’s All-Star Wayne Shorter Ensemble, which actually performed at a “Beacons in Jazz” award ceremony where Shorter was honored. His mentors recognized the potential of this talented young saxophonist back then. They would no doubt all be proud of the promise that Igor fulfills on his fully realized sophomore outing. – Bill Milkowski

Bill Milkowski is a regular contributor to Jazz Times magazine and is also the author of “JACO: The Extraordinary and Tragic Life of Jaco Pastorius” (Backbeat Books)

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released January 1, 2009

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Igor Lumpert & Innertextures New York

What, makes Igor’s music so unique is its complexity. There is a quality to his playing and compositions that has absorbed the rich traditions of jazz music in this country but has also added something new and unidentifiable. His compositions flow with the ease and vitality of odd time signatures that speaks to a wealth of understanding of Slovenian folk music.
Jane Ira Bloom
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