The composition stands firmly in the language of jazz and is full of a flooring amount of creativity. Although Sorey is by far the most experienced member of this sextet, a listener with no knowledge of the musicians would not be able to tell due to their immense skill. Each musician has ample room to express themselves and the improvisation is never anything less than great. The band is full of adventure and can reach colossal levels of energy.
Unfiltered is broken up into three parts, each one just as incredible as the last. As the piece moves on, one gets the sense that this sextet can excel in all types of moods within the jazz idiom. The connection between drums and piano results in stunning moments, like the fascinating chaos halfway through of "Part 3". Reising and Guerin's saxophones have interestingly opposed styles. Both players can be forceful, but Guerin often embraces the more abrasive side of his horn's tone in dexterous solos. The two make a formidable team in an almost overwhelming moment of power in the last 10 minutes of "Part 1".
Guerin's ferocity is put to great use as Dunston's strongly bowed bass builds impressive tension near the 5-minute mark of "Part 2". After the first 8 minutes, Korten's cascading piano brilliantly expands the sonic palette. The pianist is prominent throughout the entire piece, setting a foreboding mood with beautiful hypnotizing phrases at the beginning of "Part 1". Berliner eventually joins him and takes off into a superb solo. The gorgeous soft tone of her vibraphone creates a striking juxtaposition when paired with the horns in the second half of "Part 3".
Sorey is massive throughout Unfiltered, and the rest of the band follows suit. The way the bandleader commands his kit will leave listeners in awe, especially in passages like the thunderous drumming 25 minutes into "Part 2". The level of musicianship on display here makes the two hours fly by, and the bouts of collective improvisation are tremendous. Any jazz fan would be doing themselves a huge favor by purchasing Unfiltered.
Unfiltered is broken up into three parts, each one just as incredible as the last. As the piece moves on, one gets the sense that this sextet can excel in all types of moods within the jazz idiom. The connection between drums and piano results in stunning moments, like the fascinating chaos halfway through of "Part 3". Reising and Guerin's saxophones have interestingly opposed styles. Both players can be forceful, but Guerin often embraces the more abrasive side of his horn's tone in dexterous solos. The two make a formidable team in an almost overwhelming moment of power in the last 10 minutes of "Part 1".
Guerin's ferocity is put to great use as Dunston's strongly bowed bass builds impressive tension near the 5-minute mark of "Part 2". After the first 8 minutes, Korten's cascading piano brilliantly expands the sonic palette. The pianist is prominent throughout the entire piece, setting a foreboding mood with beautiful hypnotizing phrases at the beginning of "Part 1". Berliner eventually joins him and takes off into a superb solo. The gorgeous soft tone of her vibraphone creates a striking juxtaposition when paired with the horns in the second half of "Part 3".
Sorey is massive throughout Unfiltered, and the rest of the band follows suit. The way the bandleader commands his kit will leave listeners in awe, especially in passages like the thunderous drumming 25 minutes into "Part 2". The level of musicianship on display here makes the two hours fly by, and the bouts of collective improvisation are tremendous. Any jazz fan would be doing themselves a huge favor by purchasing Unfiltered.
