Exploding Star Orchestra @ Chicago Cultural Center, October 18th, 6:30PM: Leader/Trumpeter Rob Mazurek, flutist Nicole Mitchell, guitarist Jeff Parker, saxophonist/clarinetist Matt Bauder, pianist Angelica Sanchez, bassist Matthew Lux, drummer John Herndon, and vocalist Damon Locks.

Rare is the artistic outfit that can title their pieces “63 Moons of Jupiter” and “Galactic Parables,” only to compose and perform them with such finesse, vision, and abandon as to make those same titles seem tame and unimaginative in comparison to their sonic realization. The Exploding Star Orchestra (ESO) is such an outfit. “Moons” and “Parables,” the latter being a U.S. premiere performance, were linked together for an epic hour and forty minute-long suite at the Chicago Cultural Center last night.

Is the ESO a “jazz orchestra?” I’d say sure, definitely. But most folks likely associate that term with groups like the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Maria Schneider’s Orchestra, or even old dance bands like Benny Goodman. The ESO is an entirely different beast, closer in spirit and sound to Sun Ra than Duke Ellington. Founded by Rob Mazurek in 2005, this group (and Mazurek himself) is one of the most idiosyncratic, progressive, and creatively satisfying acts currently playing. As close as I can figure it, their aesthetic is a mix of Sun Ra, Charles Mingus, and a generalized 60s-70s post Coleman energy music. But to my mind, Mingus would be the closest point of reference in terms of overall concept (if not in sound), even though he had some choice words for the avant-garde on occasion. Like Mingus, Mazurek and the ESO use long form compositions to weave back and forth between intricately written sections and collective improvisations. And as Mingus directed his groups, cueing them from section to section, Mazurek does the same; whether it’s with a simple head nod to start a line, a conductor’s wave to signal the entire band into a new section, or walking across the stage to begin some background lines with another band member. And as Mingus’s early study of European classical music seeped into his music, Mazurek and the ESO seem to have a connection to this “legit” world as well; While the music contains plenty of strong jazz rhythms and gestures, many of the harmonies/lines and forms stray far away from the regular jazz tropes, forming a world apart. As a last similarity to Mingus, the ESO is also incorporating spoken word into their long forms: a near extreme rarity in jazz. 

From the first downbeat, the “Moons/Parables” suite was dense, angular, and swirling. However, even with the music being harmonically dissonant at times and often rhythmically slippery, the players tone and feel give even the novice listener something to hold onto. As concerned as Mazurek is with composition/form/aesthetics/etc…, he still knows that the most important thing in his playing is the instrument’s sound. Depending on the his intent, his horn can sound bright, suffusive, electronically treated, acoustic, etc… And his intuition is honed to a special level. He’s acquired the knack to lead and follow simultaneously; an especially valuable trait in modern creative improvisation. This trait is related to his seeming ability to be wholly original when reacting to his surroundings, and to seem to be reacting to his surroundings when creating something out of thin air. Or as Steve Winwood once described Hendrix, “He’s grooving on a whole other plane.”

Maybe the most unusual, or unexpected, aspect of the performance was the incorporation of spoken word from the ever-in-motion vocalist Damon Locks (he danced near continuously on stage when not speaking into his mic). At key section changes, Locks would enter with tales of “galactic parable #72,” or an interesting riff on Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier (if I heard it right). At times, Locks words were treated electronically and manipulated to become another part of the collective improv with other band members. It gave the performance a certain “theatricality” most music performances don’t have and Locks got it just right.

Everyone on the stage was essential, but other standouts were the inimitable Chicago rhythm section of Matthew Lux and John Herndon. The last time I was lucky enough to see them perform together live was back in 2000 in Phoenix, AZ with the brilliant post-rock band Isotope 217. So solid and so loose. They sounded perfect back then and yet they still have come so far. Herndon particularly lifted the band with his propulsive energy. The drummer got the least amount of rest in last night’s situation and he was putting it out heavy for about 100 minute straight. That’s a workout. Flutist Nicole Mitchell and guitarist Jeff Parker were the other two standout soloists and front line melodists. Both switch back and forth between sharper attacks and more mellow tones from their instruments depending on the context, and both are intent listeners when improvising, always reacting. Parker, to me, is a particularly interesting and original player. In his soloing, he often seems to have a hard-won, intentionally hesitant feel. It’s different from laying behind the beat. It comes off as a kind of innocence; a kind of perfected groping. It’s a kind of Thelonious Monk “ugly beauty.” Parker’s playing is a beautiful thing.

Mazurek and the ESO issue big challenges to themselves, and they challenge their audiences as well. Pushing boundaries in art can be a slippery slope. But the ESO, Rob Mazurek, and many other musicians here in Chicago are pushing with a purpose. They’re not pushing to pose. And if this all sounds too impossibly hip, or sophisticated, or… something, I still imagine (hope?) that Mazurek and company have a similar attitude toward their art/audience that Bill Murray’s character in Tootsie has. How does one describe that attitude? Well, there’s no describing Bill Murray. It is what it is.