CLASSICAL, JAZZ, & AVANT
MATT JORGENSEN + 451
by Christopher DeLaurenti

Recently, I had the pleasure of talking with drummer Matt Jorgensen, who helms Matt Jorgensen + 451, one of those rare gems in jazz: a group that makes the tradition of blues-based improvisation sound fresh and new. After chatting about Emergency! (Polydor), the legendary 1969 jazz-rock album instigated by drummer Tony Williams ("The tunes on that record are simple but there's a lot of emotion there; that group's visceral impact is what we're after"), as well as lamenting the standard fate of up-and-coming Seattle musicians ("We're much better known outside Seattle"), Jorgensen remarked, "In jazz, you're supposed to take chances with the music."

I dig this drummer-driven group because they take chances and cook, too. Jorgensen's animated cymbal fills and a willingness to bash the drums when needed blend perfectly with Ryan Burns' adroit comping on an electric piano. Burns' concoction of mysterioso fizzing and burbling adds menace and mystery to many of the group's tunes, especially their fine cover of Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter" on The Sonarchy Session (Origin). Phil Sparks, a first-call bassist for all sorts of jazz gigs around town, anchors the group with a steady groove while their longtime saxophonist Mark Taylor keeps things visceral with bluesy, impassioned solos.

And unlike the great Tony Williams, whose later albums suffered from Jazz Drummer's Disease--an impolite tendency to hog the spotlight and squeeze bandmates out of the music--Jorgensen gives his compadres free rein to make the music happen. "Much of my music starts out as sketches. Together we take chances, giving these songs a form and bringing out the emotions behind the music."