Quintet (feat. Nate Wooley, Terry L. Green, Brad Jones & Ches Smith)

Elliott Sharp has been part of avant-garde scenes since the late ‘70s, playing an inventive brand of guitar in a variety of experimental jazz and classical contexts, as well as in noise rock and traditional blues bands. Over the years he’s pulled out a horn every once in a while, but here he plays saxophone and bass clarinet throughout. He also expands the Aggregat lineup from the trio of the band’s debut into an impressive-sounding quintet—adding trumpeter Nate Wooley and trombonist Terry L. Green to the rhythm section of bassist Brad Jones and drummer Ches Smith. As is often the case with Sharp’s work, there are areas of visceral skronk (“Katabatics” and “Anabatics”), as well as some extended tonal gambits (“Lacus Temporis” and “Cherenkov Light”). There are also some surprisingly straight moments here, on the bebop-into-the-stratosphere feel of “Magnetar” and the raucous but inspired “Blues for Butch,” which shifts from a celebratory free-for-all to a soulful New Orleans blues halfway through. While Sharp shouldn’t think of hanging up his guitar, this truly is a nice change of pace.