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David S. Ware Surrendered (Columbia, 2000)
review by Micah Holmquist
June 1, 2000

David S. Ware (tenor saxophone),
Matthew Shipp (piano),
William Parker (bass),
Guillermo E. Brown (drums)

My ears hear David S. Ware and my mind can’t help but say it is Jean-Michel Basquiat with a saxophone. Just as the late Basquiat would use the simplest of images, sometimes even intentionally sloppy drawings, and even just written words to create paintings of post-modern brilliance, Ware begins with basic themes and embellishes them through the creation and dispensation of sonic inkblots. The blots vary in thickness and color as Ware varies the amount of time he spends on each note or riff and the variety or rhythms utilized influences the density of each spot. Basquiat used the style of graffiti artists to create messages that were instantly recognizable because they drew on the audience’s collective backlog and images without shame or hesitation while Ware does the aural equivalent. Calling on a listener’s template of what jazz should sound like, Ware throws emotions ranging peace and tranquility to joy to anger.

David Fricke, of Rolling Stone magazine, says in the linear notes that Surrendered "is an entire hymn to openness, an hour-long ode to the lessons and pleasures of submission and communion." Although the disc actually comes in at less than 53 minutes, Fricke is right in that a great deal of this material is far more placid than what usually comes from Ware. His version of the Charles Lloyd composition "Sweet Georgia Bright" sounds like a vehicle that Ware could just explode all over and release a torrent of furious sounds but, in fact, the cut never goes that far. Like "Peace Celestial" which opens the disc, "Sweet Georgia Bright" remains immersed in a restful state. The title track has the same vibe and has Ware once again exploring African American gospel music. This time the results aren’t quite as beautiful as on the 1996 release Godspelized but listeners will have little room for complaint.

Still all is not at ease here. "Theme of Ages" features an angry growl for the seven minutes and 44 seconds of existence. "Glorified Calypso" has Ware using calypso stylings, much like his mentor Sonny Rollins is famous for doing, but also playing like he is on a dangerous quest where the wrong move could mean sudden death. It has jagged edges for all to see and is anything but comforting.

Ware has done a number of concerts recently where he performs sans backing musicians. Although I haven’t had the pleasure of attending any of these shows, it appears that these experiences may have strengthened tenor’s playing. Ware’s sound appears fuller and more dynamic on these sessions, which are from October 20 and 21 of last year, than it has on recent dates. This alters the entire dynamic of the music. On 1998’s Go See the World, to use the example of the David S. Ware Quartet’s first disc on Columbia records, Ware seemed like just one player amongst four equals but his fingerprints are all over Surrendered.

Which isn’t to say that the other players phone in weak performances. Shipp delivers a highly stylized wallop on the keys that will be familiar to those who have heard Shipp’s own Pastoral Composure, another recently released disc. And William Parker is William Parker. Most of the time he is chugging along, doing the invaluable task of keeping all of the music in context but when he gets the opportunity to step out, Parker is as expressive as nearly any instrumentalist. If Surrendered has a weak spot, it is newcomer Guillermo E. Brown on the skins. Brown has yet to develop a voice that is as unique as that of Susie Ibarra, the woman who he has replaced, and the music sometimes lacks the added spark that Ibarra can provide. Still he is more than competent and manages to keep up with the other players by laying down heavy beats. It will be interesting to see how Brown’s playing progresses. It is not at all unreasonable to think that he will become a preeminent drummer in avant-garde jazz circles.

Brown’s best playing comes on the nearly 17 minute long "African Drums" which closes the disc. Here his deep grooves recall the great Elvin Jones while still showing signs of originality. "African Drums" is not, as its title might suggest, simply a showcase for Brown, however. The tune comes from Ware’s days while playing with drummer Beaver Harris and has a very thick and layered sound that immediately references the John Coltrane Quartet. The four players never completely dispense with this sound but they don’t let it constrict their movement. Parker’s playing on the upright when combined with the work of Brown lays a solid foundation that echoes Jimmy Garrison and Jones while Shipp plays the role of McCoy Tyner. The similarity between Shipp’s playing and the sound of Tyner is unmistakable at first but gradually grow less certain as he begins to play around bass drum accents coming from Brown. Ware, for his part, pays homage to Coltrane with his first run but then settles back into his more scatter shot playing. The inkblots are coming from all four players and tagging eager listeners in the process.

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