https://rawtonkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-set-up
Genre: Free Jazz
Rating: 4/5
released on bandcamp January 24, 2022
Another fantastic release on Raw Tonk made generously available in full on bandcamp with a physical CD made available to purchase. I understand that talk is cheap but I do appreciate it.
HFT is a Spanish outfit who have been at it for around a decade if not longer. The sound here is very earthy in a way I associate with Don Cherry. Earthy might not be a helpful adjective but the sound reminds me of digging my hand through nutrient rich soil.
One time an incarcerated man told me when he was allowed out into the yard he’d try to dig into the ground and rub soil and dirt on his skin. He said he believed it kept his immune system strong.
This music is like that to me. It’s actually slightly ironic because beyond the drums and bass there’s only a bass clarinet. Although if I didn’t know at times I’d think it was a saxophone. But the clarinet, even in this register, generally has an ethereal quality to it, in my mind. But the bass and the drums are so grounded it’s as if the clarinet has to speak to them in their language.
I love the percussion by the way. Borja Díaz is intensely astute, not just adding a pulse but adding texture.
Warmth Highest 