Mike Clark & Mike Zilber

Standard Deviation

Sunnyside

Standard Deviation is the second album from drummer Mike Clark and saxophonist Mike Zliber following Mike Drop (2021), also covered on these pages. This is a New York session, rounded out by bassist Alex Claffy and pianist Jon Davis, the latter of whom should be familiar to our readers through his many appearances on Posi-Tone issues. It’s a hard swinging session wherein the quartet covers Zilber’s reimagined jazz standards and classic tracks. While the titles may be mostly familiar, Zilber overhauled these songs in terms of structure, harmonies, meters, form, and feel. Is there anything else? The resulting arrangements proved challenging but inviting to the quartet. “Blues for Chambers” is the one original, a tribute to the late bassist, Jeff Chambers.

Commencing the program is a rather straight-forward (in comparison to the others) rendering of Sam Rivers’ “Beatrice.” Zilber’s tenor tone is warm and robust while he and the quartet deliver a different harmony than the mid’60s swing. Claffy steps up with authority on his turn and Clark keeps a pulse with his skittering snares and cymbal sweeps behind Zilber’s convicted, passionate lines that leave room for Clark on the eighths. Tempo ramps up for  the hybrid shuffle “Blues for Chambers,” a piece right in Davis’ wheelhouse because there is such a bluesy bent to his playing. The quartet cooks on this one, powered in part by Claffy’s steel-like strength walking bass line, not to mention his over the top solo.  Zilber’s attack is not unlike the R&B tenorists of the ‘50s. The quartet reveals its tender side on Hoagy Carmichael’s “I Get Along Without You.” Zilber is highly lyrical but solo nods also go to Claffy and Davis.

Coltrane’s “Cousin Mary’ gets an obvious reharmonization treatment. It begins somewhat tentatively before exploding into a motoring tempo with a changing figure to the melody that keeps the band tuned in intently. None of these players try to mimic Coltrane’s Quartet though. They do it in their own aggressive way. Ornette Coleman’s “Turnaround” takes a slow blues turn in ¾ with Zilber echoing late ‘50s Coltrane. Davis hits the keys vigorously supported by Clark’s dynamic kit work. As with all these tunes, there’s room for a bass solo too. Claffy delivers monstrous takes throughout this album. The well-worn “Green Dolphin Street (Redolphined) goes into a number of directions harmonically as Zillber again wields an old school tenor reminiscent of Coltrane’s work on Prestige circa late ‘50s while Davis commands a blistering tempo not often associated with the tune. Clark is kinetic, ever stirring behind the drum kit.

The quarter delivers a tender take on the ballad “The Very Thought of You” with Claffy and Davis arguably turning in their best respective solos. The quartet then reaches outside jazz with a funky interpretation a la Stax in terms of rhythm for Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Zilber builds to crescendo and then relinquishes to Clark to exit, falling out the groove. The closer is Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” transformed to 4/4 time and some new harmonic touches. Zilber is white hot. It may well be the most unrecognizable reimagining of all the pieces.

Standard Deviation can be summed up in that lasting cliche – Something Borrowed, Something New, Something Blue.  Oh, and it swings hard too.

• Jim Hynes

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