CODE Quartet: Genealogy
Justin Time Records

Nortonk: Nortonk
Biophilia Records

Differences in personnel and nationality aside, the similarities between Nortonk and CODE Quartet are uncannily plentiful. On their recently issued debut albums, the groups, each formed in 2017, embrace the freedom the absence of a harmony-establishing chordal instrument brings, and both cite the iconic Ornette Coleman Quartet as a key influence. New York outfit Nortonk—alto saxophonist Gideon Forbes, trumpeter Thomas Killackey, bassist Stephen Pale, and drummer Steven Crammer—recorded its self-titled album in February 2020; based in Montreal, CODE Quartet—alto saxophonist Christine Jensen (soprano too), trumpeter Lex French, bassist Adrian Vedady, and drummer Jim Doxas—recorded Genealogy during that same month last year. Finally, both albums feature originals by members of their respective bands, Doxas the only one not credited with a composition.

Of course both bands draw on other artists and groups as part of their respective vocabularies (Pale, for example, mentions Paul Chambers and Ron Carter as important personal touchstones), yet there's no denying Ornette looms large. And it's not just the saxophonist who wields an influence; as integral to his groundbreaking quartet was the playing of Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Ed Blackwell (Billy Higgins also), and their presence can be detected too on Nortonk and Genealogy. As always in jazz, each generation builds on the creative foundation established by those who came before, from Parker and Monk to Miles, Mingus, Coltrane, and beyond.

All born in the ‘90s, Nortonk's members excel at small-group interaction, something Biophilia's Fabian Almazan noticed when he first heard them perform, the four at the time still studying at New Jersey's William Paterson University. The pianist was playing a concert there as part of Mark Guiliana's band with Nortonk the opener, and the moment he heard the group he knew it was something special. Whether navigating a serpentine melody or responding instinctively to the music as it's being created, each member has strong ears and an advanced aptitude. Musicality is paramount regardless of the character of the tune in play.

Forbes's scene-setting “Chutes and Ladders” reveals elasticity to be one of the group's defining qualities in the way the members support the soloist. In a performance that achieves a cozy balance between polished and raw, the freedom the absence a choral instrument affords is felt throughout. His “Spiders” and trumpeter's “Herzog” show the band's as capable of handling restrained dirges as uptempo workouts, maximizing the effectiveness of space, and ceding solo moments to all members, not front-liners only. It's Killackey's “Duuzh,” however, that sees Nortonk in Ornette mode, with the horns peppering a fleet pulse with pithy statements. Crammer's “GLaDOS” likewise calls to mind the legend in its unison figures and open-minded experimentalism. While Killackey isn't playing a pocket trumpet like Cherry's, a few moments arise that resemble it.

If the album exudes a live feel, it's attributable to both the comfort level the four have achieved plus the manner by which the material was recorded: on the studio floor without the customary separation between players. No studio is a live stage, but the set-up for this recording helped catalyze visceral performances marked by spontaneity.

Like Nortonk, CODE Quartet came together to explore the possibilities of a chordless quartet and build on Ornette's legacy with its own two horns-acoustic bass-and-drums combination. Also like their U.S. counterpart, the Canadian outfit adjusts the traditional balance between front-line players and the rhythm section by according each component equal weight and by writing material that has formal structure but isn't so overdetermined it impedes the improvisatory potential of the performance. The playing of Jensen, French, Vedady, and Doxas is marked by bravado, high energy, and conviction.

Slinking coyly in like the opening music to a ‘50s noir film, French's “Tipsy” is cool in the extreme, from its bluesy theme and agile solos by Jensen and the composer to the lithe swing Vedady and Doxas fashion to move the piece along. Consistent with the group's philosophy, all four members step into the spotlight before a final restatement of the seductive head wraps things up. Having eased the listener in, the group next serenades with the bassist's sultry “Watching it All Slip Away,” the mellifluous tune an alluring complement to the opener. The tempo increases significantly for French's title track, with Doxas throwing down and the trumpeter responding in kind. Grooving even harder is Jensen's dynamic “Wind Up,” which achieves liftoff through the combination of an infectiously swinging pulse, the singing tone of the saxophonist, and a florid solo contribution from French.

Reflecting the quartet's range, the traditional “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded” is treated to a heartfelt reading by all concerned. CODE Quartet executes it rubato, with the horns voicing the theme tenderly and extemporizing plaintively against an evolving backdrop. Adding to the album's charm is French's “Beach Community,” a calypso-styled outro that just might have you retrieving a Sonny Rollins album or two from your collection.

Genealogy is a fabulous set, full stop, and the work the four put in during the years leading up to its recording are clearly reflected in the result. Does one recording have an edge over the other? The Canadian outfit's presents more music than Nortonk's—fifty minutes versus thirty-two—and encompasses a slightly broader range, but there's no need to choose: any listener drawn to the one would be wise to check out the other too.

May 2021