Jazz on Strings: Judith Insell and Joe Fonda Proclaim Spirited Improvisation

Jazz on Strings is not a new phenomenon. Violinists Stephane Grappeli, Svend Asmussen and more recently Regina Carter and Mark Feldman have demonstrated the suitability of the bowed strings in jazz vocabulary. But still a string instrument in the context of jazz is a bit of a black sheep among the thousands of saxophones, guitars and pianos. The good thing is that although few in number, strings as "instruments that can swing" raise fewer eyebrows today than ever before.

Dark Wood Explorations by violist Judith Insell (who plays the lower and bigger viola, not a "standard" violin) and contrabassist Joe Fonda is an ample documentation of original attitude when bridging standard repertoire with original compositions, adapted for a duo environment. The album features daring versions of John Coltrane's "India" and particularly pianist Bill Evans' "Very Early", usually a harmonically inclined experience, which is here approached in a more contrapuntal fashion with no harmonies in display. Richie Beirach's "Elm" is approached a bit more conventionally with some underlying chords, possibly due to its absence on the general gig and jam session scene. The haunting melody is approached with stark melancholism and longing, making this ten-minute track a highlight. The more adventurous selections include the Fonda originals "In the White Cage" and "Song for My Mother" as well as the Insell compositions "Bill" and the happy-spirited "Voo la la Blues", which hardly feels or sounds like a blues in its original meaning. Dark Wood Explorations is a joyful and an "exploring" experience. The album demonstrates the strength of jazz as a genre, where all instrumentations are possible and "authentic", to benefit the core elements of this unique American tradition. Recommended.