Joe Morris - Age of Everything
(Riti)

Steve Lantner Trio - Saying So
(Riti)

Age of Everything, Morris' follow-up to Aum Fidelity's amazing Singularity, features him in a much different setting. Morris plays electric guitar this time, in a trio with bassist Timo Shanko and drummer Luther Gray, and the output this time is a streamlined platter of jazz that's straighter than what you'd expect to come out of Morris' guitar — though the man's fully able to do pretty much anything under the label of "jazz," and this album proves it. Age of Everything doesn't show us Morris flexing his muscles in quite the way that Singularity did. Instead, speed's the name of the game, here. Atop the standard rhythms laid down by the bass and drums, Morris hops through the repeated phrases of each selection before racing into some of the fastest, smoothest solos I've ever heard spill from a guitar. Pay no mind that his guitar tone is bland and that much of the disc feels as though it's a waiting period to get to these solos, because Morris' dexterity is enough to save this disc from a much lower rating. Don't get me wrong, Age of Everything is a good album. Everyone's competent and does their job. Gray's solos, when they come, aren't too shabby either. But the final product is far too gentile, and it's almost retro sound leaves little room for anyone to do much of anything that's too interesting. Only when Morris can squeeze through for a solo does the music really fly, and, even then, Morris is all virtuosity, with little in the way of unconventional technique, which we all know he's capable of. But, as I said, Age of Everything is a good album. Perhaps too good... and too safe.

Steve Lantner's trio is made up of Lantner on piano, Morris in his debut performance on bass, and Laurence Cook on drums. Morris' presence, however, is notable for those who keep a close eye on the man's discography, as his bass shows itself to be far less individual than his guitar, and it's hard to remember that he's even on this record, as he's almost inaudible much of the time. Cook's percussion hinges on Lantner's piano and is respectful of Lantner in a way that makes the pianist's leadership of the group's spacious improvisations obvious. Lantner, though it's hard to poke any holes in his skills and musicianship, finds himself rambling between the album's better moments, and, after it's all said and done, Saying So has lasted sixty-two minutes, and if it weren't for the pauses between selections, the difference between tracks might be unnoticeable.

Let's hope that Riti changes gears on its next few releases and dips into the fire music that these guys are capable of. Saying So and Age of Everything, though excellent in many ways and perhaps even beautiful at times, simply don't provide the gusto that Morris' rejuvinated label deserves.

adam strohm 2002 aug 16