For those not familiar with Steve Coleman or the M-Base movement, much of this review probably won't make sense. The music on this CD and other CD's produced by members of this collective of musicians is like nothing else in the world. In my opinion it is truly "future music."
The music of Steve Coleman from a compositional standpoint is complex (sometimes defying comprehension) and utilizes many mixed meters (7's, 5's, 16th subdivision). The arrangements are strict with areas of heavy improvisation over usually repetitive rhythm section figures. Most of the songs are "groove" based, in that the rhythm section rarely steps beyond the role of accompaniment for the soloists. The piano (and less frequently) guitar take solos, while the bass and drums almost never do. This is probably because of the intricacy of the underlying rhythmic figures which gracefully change without any hesitation.
Sine Die is a perfect example of what the M-Base movement is all about. M-Base stands for Macro Basic Array of Structured Extemporizations, indicating that the style is a meld of many different influences from the african-american traditions, including jazz, funk and hip-hop. All of the musicians on Sine Die are accomplished straight-ahead jazz players, even though there is not even one standard jazz "lick" on the entire CD.
Guest artists include saxophonists Branford Marsalis and Gary Thomas with a brief appearance by Greg Osby on alto and Jimmy Cozier on baritone. The core group of the Five Elements consists of Graham Haynes on trumpet, Robin Eubanks on trombone, Kevin Bruce Harris on bass, Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums, David Gilmore on guitar (not that David Gilmore!), and James Weidman on piano/keyboards. Other guests on the album include Cassandra Wilson on vocals, Geri Allen on keyboards, and the amazing Lonnie Plaxico on acoustic bass.
"Destination" is perhaps what this project is all about. The piece is a medium funk groove in 7/4 and showcases some stunning playing by Steve and Branford, especially a written duet in the center of the piece. Not only are they perfectly in tune, but also perfectly in time, playing some really difficult licks. It takes about a minute before you realize just how complex the song is. Cassandra Wilson's vocals are superb and add a level of accessibility to the music.
"Cinema Saga" starts out in a medium slow funk but soon explodes into a burning groove in 5/4. Steve Coleman's unique phrasing and note choices are very apparent in his solo on this piece.
"Soul Melange" is just that... a mixture of soul and jazz elements combined in an easy to swallow 14 beat phrase (7+7). Again, Cassandra adds a nice twist with her relaxed and groovy vocals.
I had to listen to "Circle C" about 5 times before I could figure out what meter the song was in. As near as I can tell, it starts in 4, goes to a 7/8, 6/8, 4/8 pattern, and then all hell brakes out in a 7/8, 6/8 pattern. This song features some burning solos by Coleman and Gilmore.
"Proteus" is so rhythmically complex that it literally took dozens of times to figure it out. Like "Circle C," "Proteus" twists and turns from meter to meter. It starts in 4/4, then changes to a 28/4 feel in a 7,6,5,4,3,2,1 configuration. As if this wasn't enough rhythmnin' for you, it changes back to four and features and absolutely tenor solo by Gary Thomas. Thomas whips through modal and chromatic patterns with blinding speed. Coleman enters and the meter switches to 10/8 while they begin a solo trade. Coleman executes all of his playing with perfected and pecise articulation, and never strays from the underlying rhythmic current.
"Passage" is a short saxophone quartet. Check this out for some really unique harmonic shifts and subtle rhythmic implications.
"First Sunrise" is a light vocal feature for Cassandra. She sings over mixed meters (15/4 in this case) with absolute ease and grace. Her sense of time is impeccable! This song also features a nice guitar solo and a relaxed, almost jazzy piano solo.
"Un-Beat" is a great feature for the brass players in the group. Both Eubanks and Haynes play burning solos, even over a wicked 5/4 double time groove that pops up every 5 measures.
"Dark to Light" is the only slow cut on this CD and features a beautiful shifting major/minor tonality. The song is about the opposites in life and how they are not really different at all. Steve Coleman and Greg Osby are both accomplished martial artists, and this song portrays a very "eastern" philosophical view.
"Profile Man" is a scathing commentary on those who forsake the reality of themselves in pursuit of an image. "With the posture of a prince, or chief of state, your shoes cost a mint and your suit is first rate...". This song is almost a rap, even though the spoken text falls evenly into a 7/4 groove.
"Proteus Revamp" is a semi-remix of the first "Proteus." They are essentially the same, only there is a chorus/flange effect on the wind players. I'm not sure why they added this track. Perhaps that was too evil a groove to play just once!