Ben Goldberg - Everything Happens To Be. (2021) [Hi-Res]

Author: Selwyn Hants
Ben Goldberg is a veteran clarinettist whose work explores the unique identity and richly-veined sonic of his instrument through time.

Drawing on classical forms from Baroque through Klezmer to more avant-chamber sounds of Jimmy Guiffre; from collective N'orleans era jazz when clarinet was king of the reeds; through to the anything-goes NYC scene, to which Goldberg contributed during the 1990s. One of his peers is Ellery Eskelin, who featured on Goldberg's highly rated 2013 release Unfold Ordinary Mind and here his inimitable, understatedly woozy-toned tenor sax makes an effective foil to Goldberg's robust-toned Eb, rather than Bb, clarinet.

The central influence is chorale music yet the definition stretches all the way back to sacred music through to Ellington, forward to Ornette and into alt-rock. The inventive guitarist Halvorson plays alongside a rhythm section that together make up the Thumbscrew trio. They sound like a Mingus ensemble in a downtown basement bar on ‘21’, a Frisell-esque take on country music on ‘Fred Hampton, and a free-jazz metal band on ‘Tomas Plays the Dream, The concluding ‘Abide with Me, stays loyal to the song's melody and spiritual resonance of the original, even if the band sound as if they're more likely to be playing it in a jazz basement bar rather than a chancel.

Mary Halvorson - electric guitar
Ellery Eskelin - tenor saxophone
Michael Formanek - bass
Tomas Fujiwara - drums
Ben Goldberg - clarinets