April 2005
John
Ellis
'One Foot in the Swamp'
Hyena Records
 Coming
from a member of eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter’s
various bands for the past few years, reedman John Ellis’
first release to receive national exposure might be
something you'd expect to be filled with infectious
grooves and catchy melodies. And, to be sure, One Foot
in the Swamp has its share of both. But as much as tunes
like “Happy” have a joyful New Orleans swagger
and singable theme, Ellis—truly a cosmopolitan
player who has spent as much time in New York and the
Far East as he has in the Deep South—is as rooted
in a kind of urban extension of post bop as he is more
earthy concerns. All of which make One Foot in the Swamp
an eclectic album where the thread running through it
is the common denominator of invention and spirited
musical camaraderie.
While the three guests who appear on various tracks—guitarist
John Scofield, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, and chromatic
harmonica player Gregoire Maret (another Charlie Hunter
alumnus)—add variety and richer colours to the
palette, the album’s fundamental identity relies
on the consistent abilities of pianist Aaron Goldberg,
bassist Roland Guerin, and drummer Jason Marsalis to
adapt to whatever context Ellis throws their way. And,
of course, Ellis himself, whose work on tenor and soprano
saxophones, bass clarinet, and ocarina are less about
chops and
more about creating vibes—ranging from the Eddie
Harris inflection of “One for the Kelpers”
to the more metrically challenging “Bonus Round,”
first recorded in a more straightforward fashion on
Hunter’s last disc, Friends Seen and Unseen.
Goldberg, seen last summer as a member of guitarist
Kurt Rosenwinkel’s quartet, sticks with electric
pianos this time around, playing with directness on
the funky second line of “One for the Kelpers”
and more texturally on the open-ended “Chalmette
Shawarma.” Marsalis demonstrates a lighter touch
on the rumba rhythm of “Ostinato” and more
grit on the down-home funk of “Happy.” Guerin
is most conspicuous because of his ability to mesh so
integrally with his surroundings that
he is felt more than heard. He’s the kind of player
who doesn’t stand out, but instead acts as a firm
anchor, even on pieces like “Seeing Mice,”
where the solo section travels into a dream-like ambience.
As much as this is a showcase for Ellis, he’s
a democratic leader who leaves plenty of space for Scofield,
Payton, and Maret—a player who seems to be getting
around these days, working with artists including George
Benson, Steve Coleman, and Pat Metheny, with whom he
is currently on tour. Lyrical and imaginative, Maret
is the first player since Toots Thielemans to put the
chromatic harmonica in a real position of prominence,
and he appears to have an equally broad reach, albeit
in areas where one would never find Thielemans.
John Ellis may have One Foot in the Swamp, but with
an album that is as modern as it is rooted, he is clearly
stretching, successfully consolidating his already remarkable
range of life experiences into clear focus.
--John
Kelman
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=16906
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