By: Andrea Myers
“Amidst the ever-growing field of boundary-pushing groups forced by default into the annoyingly broad category ‘jazz,’ The Fantastic Merlins stand out...This is music for all ears, performed by musicians who impress by way of the heart.”It’s no surprise, really, that the Fantastic Merlins are groundbreaking; after all, cellist Jacqueline Ferrier-Ultan and upright bass player Brian Roessler are members of the Twin Cities’ “pushing the envelope of sound” family which includes their other experimental, non-jazz local bands Jello Slave and Electropolis. They are joined by acclaimed improvisational musicians Nathan Hanson on saxophone and Federico Ughi on drums, who are both from New York. The group plays mostly original compositions that float between classical and jazz, familiar and out-there, melodic and dissonant. They are a band for bored ears.
At the beginning of their first set, the Fantastic Merlins kept things fairly slow with a few covers of what sounded like old jazz standards. With Hanson and Ferrier-Ultan sharing melodic duties, it was like an experiment to see what happens when the trumpet or second saxophone of a jazz combo is swapped out for a cello; which resulted in some breathtaking improvised moments. As the quartet wound into more of their original material, Ferrier-Ultan began playing off of Roessler’s bass movements, and Roessler responded by trading in the more traditional walking bassline for bowed, swooping moans. At times, Roessler and Ferrier-Ultan blended together so seamlessly that it was hard to tell who was playing which notes, allowing the group to forge ahead into uncharted symphonic territory.
Highlights from the first portion of the show included the slow moving, beautiful “Inana,” composed by Ferrier-Ultan, and the cleverly-titled “I Was Behind the Couch All the Time,” a composition by Hanson in which the melody peeked out from time to time from behind the swell of the saxophone and cello wanderings and mini-solos. Prior to playing another of his tunes, Hanson announced that an untitled piece was to be dedicated to “a good friend lost last night,” and the group played a pensive, rolling tune that resembled a jazz combo variation on “O, Holy Night” at times.
During the second set, the modest crowd thinned out to a group of less than 30 people and the band began taking even more liberties with their sound. Every song sounded like it could be a different band, and there were traces of everything from Coltrane to Celtic melodies to tribal drumming. As they neared their fourth hour of playing, I was amazed by the amount of intensity and pure energy being pummeled into every piece, and by the time the night was over I was surprised that it passed so quickly. I got the impression that each Fantastic Merlins show might produce a different result, and I intend to see them every chance I can get.
The Fantastic Merlins are wrapping up a brief tour of the Midwest on Saturday, April 22 at the Acadia, which will be the last chance to see them for a while as two of the members will be returning to New York.
Photos by David de Young.
Location Info:
Dakota Jazz Club
Artist Info: The Fantastic Merlins
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