The superb Option series at Experimental Sound Studio returns next week following a hiatus since last October. Curators Ken Vandermark, Tim Daisy, and Andrew Clinkman have announced eight new events, including a kickoff Monday with the virtuosic reeds improviser Ned Rothenberg, giving his first local solo concert since 2013. The intimacy of ESS’s studio provides an optimal setting for Rothenberg’s playing, which builds on the extended techniques of Evan Parker—with whom he’s regularly collaborated—but brings a more serene, hypnotic flair that’s less driven by marathon flights of circular breathing. His technical mastery can certainly blow one’s mind, but he tends to situate such displays in concise chunks that explore a single idea or two.
Mengelberg was an irascible contrarian, a deep thinker and nuanced player who constantly challenged the status quo. He forever prevented his groups from falling into routine, finding endless ways to trip himself and his colleagues up, forcing everyone to stay on their toes and adapt to unexpected situations. He had an abiding love for theater and the absurd—nearly as deep as his love for Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and Herbie Nichols. I was lucky enough to see him perform many times over the years, mainly with ICP Orchestra, but also solo and in various small-group settings. I don’t hesitate in calling him a genius, and even though he hasn’t played live or recorded anything in quite a few years—and wasn’t expected to ever again—knowing he’s gone is incredibly sad and sobering. He was a true one-of-a-kind. It would take a lot of examples of his playing and composing to convey the full range of his legacy, but the song below vividly showcases his astonishing touch and imagination as a player—a reading of his composition “Who’s Bridge” cut in 1994 with bassist Brad Jones and drummer Joey Baron.
