At its best, jazz expresses feeling as spontaneously as any genre of music. It's a quality that can alienate listeners used to the assurance of verses that resolve safely into a familiar chorus. But for those with open ears, jazz improvisation is an untinted window on the soul.
On HyrPlasis, Madison's Hanah Jon Taylor journeys out on tenor and soprano saxophone, flute and wind synthesizer with pianist Kirk Brown, bassist Yosef Ben Israel and percussionist Vincent Davis. Among eight compositions, the moods shift from dissonance ("HyrPlasis") to delicate ("Precious Time") to mysterious ("7-7-5-7").
The opening title track is 12 minutes of rising tension that peaks with frenetically blown sax seeking to keep time with the rush of piano and drums. Finally, the sax tempo slows in resignation as keys and rhythm race forward.
HyrPlasis is a complex and messy musical dialogue that Taylor delivers with clarity and precision.
