Heat the Grill Cook Loin

Heat the Grill Cook Loin was Brad Dutz's first release for the Household Ink label. This percussionist from Los Angeles is proficient on both tuned and un-tuned percussion. Actually, there are over 30 percussion instruments heard on this record, but it's not a percussionist album. The star is not Dutz's playing (although he does get to shine) but Dutz's writing. The nine pieces included (there are also three short improvs serving contrasting moments on the CD) are rather serious chamber jazz compositions. The main formation on this disc is a quartet formed of Dutz, John Fumo (trumpet), Kim Richmond (clarinet, flute, alto sax), and Trey Henry (acoustic bass). While these four musicians appear on every track, a few other join in here and there: Jim Hershman (acoustic guitar), Joel Harrison (electric guitar guitar), Clay Jenkins (trumpet), Glen Garrett (bass clarinet,) and none other than saxophonist Vinny Golia for whom Dutz plays in the Vinny Golia Large Ensemble.

Dutz's music is mostly chamber jazz full of odd time signatures and angular melodies. But what is the most pleasing aspect about this record is the control: Never is there any overabundance in the arrangements. Everything is stripped down in order to let the writing speak for itself. There is also a nice play on composition versus improvisation within the pieces themselves — sometimes the music seems to go slightly out of bounds only to come back more effective than ever — and throughout the album as a whole, thanks to three short improvisations serving some "crazy time" contrasting with the tampered written numbers. The last piece, "It Does Not Matter If You Get a Hint on the Quiz!," is also a noisier, jazzier tune. It sounds like a reward as much for the players as for the listener at the end of the journey. All barriers down, the band now swings and blows. Fans of the smoother and more serious side of Frank Zappa and percussion aficionados won't want to let this CD slip away. ~ François Couture, Rovi