Jeff Lederer - Schoenberg on the Beach (2023)

Versatile multi-reedist Jeff Lederer collaborates with his wife, vocalist Mary LaRose, for a song cycle that melds the music of Austrian-American composer Arnold Schoenberg with texts from philosophers such as Nietzsche, Rilke, Goethe, and Giraud. Themed around the ocean, the project features an all-star ensemble of improvisers in a program that, crossing avant-garde jazz with classical elements, is expertly controlled without sounding overly meticulous.

The opener, “On The Beach”, focuses on an unwavering rock-oriented rhythm with strong hi-hat demarcation. There’s a lyrical middle passage where Hank Roberts’ cello takes center stage, while Patricia Brennan weaves a fine harmonic tapestry with her four-mallet dexterity. “Blumengruss”, a composition by Anton von Webern with words by Goethe, exudes a particular glamour. The romanticized narrative benefits from Matt Wilson’s rattling carry-on and percussive drive; Lederer’s delirious swirls on flute; Brennan’s empathetic vibes surrounded by no less smart electronics; and bassist Michael Formanek’s big sound.

Avant-garde expectations are met with “Beneath the Shelter” and “Moondrunk”. The latter embraces a loosely swinging motion on top of which LaRose experiments with no concern for tonality but rather with dramatic expression. Lederer, who takes the flute on this one for another pirouette, picks the clarinet for a hot timbre-ranging solo on the closer, “Summer’s Weariness”, driven by Wilson’s spirited rock propulsion.

Tenacious scraps of melody floating in and out of scope are everywhere, and “The Pale Flowers of Moonlight”, drawn from Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire Op 21, comes wrapped up in soft chamber silk while evoking a sense of romantic adventure. In the sequence of the hip muted beat and electronic gambit of the introductory section, a waltzing vibraphone cadence is initiated, later reinforced by bass. Tempo shifts to 4/4, guesting bass clarinetist Marty Ehrlich into an outgoing, non-conforming statement before the waltz is reinstated. Passing a sensation of amorphousness within its structures, the artsy program nurtures intriguing articulation, making it fairly accessible without reaching grand musical climaxes.