Bellbird: Root in Tandem
Bellbird
No matter how steeped in tradition it might be, every jazz outfit's sound will be unique for the simple fact of its members' personalities. Embodying that principle is Bellbird, a quartet—married couples, in fact—that came together in Montreal a mere two years ago. Its debut album Root in Tandem reflects the balance within the group as each member's credited with composing two tracks. Tenor saxophonist Claire Devlin, alto saxophonist and bass clarinetist Allison Burik, double bassist Eli Davidovici, and drummer Mili Hong recorded the set over three winter days at Wild Studio in Saint-Zénon, Quebec, the snow-covered setting conducive to creative energy and concentration.
Naturally, the music reflects the influences and histories of its creators, with the members coming to the group from three different countries and multiple musical scenes. As a result, elements of folk, rock, and other genres seep into their instrumentals, which move between formal composition and free improvisation with ease. The playing's characterized by a rough'n'tumble attack from the rhythm players and spiralling interplay from the woodwinds; while a front-line of alto and tenor saxophones is always a welcome combination, adding to Bellbird's allure is the occasional entwining of Devlin's tenor and Burik's bass clarinet. That helps give the group identity, but it's the equal importance of each component that most characterizes the Bellbird persona.
A non-jazz element is the first thing one hears in Burik's album-opening “Blurred Season,” which begins with unison horn patterns reminiscent of Philip Glass's early minimalism. Rather than staying in one place for long, the tune quickly builds into a full-group throttle, with Davidovici and Hong powering the groove with a heavy pulse. The contrast between singing sax lines and the bass-thudding ground proves ear-catching, as does the funky groove that subsequently lifts the soloists higher. The scenery changes rapidly in this opening statement, the stimulation level at a high pitch. Slowing things down, Davidovici's “Bluff” oozes a plaintive, lonely feel redolent of wintry days so cold one has no choice but to shelter inside. The introspective purring of saxes offers a soothing counterpoint to the bluster happening outside, as does the languorous flow by the rhythm team.
Devlin's “Manakin" finds the group ambling down a bluesy waltz side-street, with a pivot into uptempo swing part of the itinerary, and no, her “Pigeons & Disco” doesn't use a 4/4 dance groove as a foundation but instead argues in defence of the unjustly maligned genre with a high-intensity performance. Elsewhere, Hong serves up a ponderous dirge with “Well” and Davidovici's driving “Ten Dog” progresses confidently through Latin-tinged, rock, and free-wail episodes.
A relaxed, explorative feel informs the performances, an effect no doubt attributable in part to the wintry location of the recording studio. That generally works in the album's favour, encouraging as it does an explorative receptivity to let the music take the four where it will. There are moments where the playing suggests some modern-day mashup of Tim Berne, Charlie Haden, and The Lounge Lizards, and the to-and-fro between Devlin and Burik and the locked-in rumble of Davidovici and Hong are compelling. Root in Tandem isn't perfect, however: “Well” peters out rather listlessly during its final minute, and there's room for growth in the writing department, as good as it is. Even so, in featuring thoughtfully structured compositions and empathetic group interplay, Root in Tandem qualifies as a solid debut statement.September 2023