The main attraction of
March On is the title track, a towering 31-minute improvisation. There are strong juxtapositions, and how these disparate parts align and explode is a key aspect of its appeal. In the beginning, Mary Halvorson's guitar has a calm, spacey tone, but it operates in a space full of agile, angular riffing courtesy of Ralph (Alessi's trumpet. Brandon Seabrook's guitar is the perfect foil to Halvorson. In the first portion of the improvisation, his metallic echo provides an interesting contrast to Halvorson's more psychedelic effects. There are moments of extended sparsity in "March On," but ultimately, the track is a masterful exercise in building toward wrathful storms. The combination of Tomas Fujiwara and Gerald Cleaver's thunderous drums and guitar playing fit for a noise-rock album creates one of the most aggressive passages of the Triple Double discography. The sharp tone of Taylor Ho Bynum's cornet is a fine partner to the chaos and it cuts through the fray like a piercing scream. The cornet's writhing is also important in the more low-key moments, with one particular passage stepping into melancholic melodic territory courtesy of Halvorson. The musical dialogue briefly moves into some head-nodding grooves led by the drums in the second half and a knotty collective improvisation by the rest of the band that gets more complex as it progresses. The chemistry on display throughout "March On" is stunning.
March On is a terrific bookend to Triple Double’s excellent
March (Firehouse 12, 2022) - a highly recommended listen for fans of the contemporary avant-garde jazz scene.
