Mako Sica, Hamid Drake - Balancing Tear (2020)

A glorious re-match for Chicago’s superb free-rock trio, Mako Sica, and the jazz world’s percussionist of choice, Hamid Drake. Their last collaboration, Ronda (FTR 409) was a glorious, open-ended studio conversation spread across two LPs. Balancing Tear is a mix of studio and live recordings, awash with calmly oceanic passages, interspersed with compressed and feverish form-blurts.

As with Ronda, the heft of the material is dynamically advanced. The album begins with passages worthy of Morricone’s western soundtracks, but the action mutates with rapid surety. There’s a track that will make you think of a micro-dosed Vic Damone singing balled for the Sephardic Justice Society with chunky, obtuse piano accompaniment recalling the work of Chris Abrahams (Necks). There are stretches of proggy soundtracky expansion with muted trumpet and deep bass roiling that make me think of Mark Cunningham’s superb electro-jazz combo, Blood Quartet. There are even shadows of tango that emerge in places like sharks’ fins breaching.

Having played together as much as they have over the intervening years, Hamid’s presence inside the overall gestalt of the sound is a natural fit. Mako Sica’s sound expands without making it seem like there’s a new element grafted to it. It’s just bigger and better. As all freedom should be. -Byron Coley, 2020



Track List:
01. .Trapeze .(07:40)
02. .The Unknown .(12:24)
03. .Enchanted City .(05:43)
04. .Trapeze / Maku (Live) .(13:58)

HAMID DRAKE - Drum Set, Percussion
PRZEMYSLAW KRYS DRAZEK - Trumpet, Pocket Trumpet, Electric Guitar
BRENT FUSCALDO - Voice, Electric Bass, Classical Guitar, Harmonica, Tibetan Prayer Bells, Lightbulb
CHAETAN NEWELL - Acoustic Piano, Cello, Drum Set, Electric Piano, Finger Snaps, Finger Cymbals, Sound Effects, Synthesizer, Tambourine, Ukulele, Upright Bass, Viola

Recorded in Chicago at:
ELECTRICAL AUDIO by Taylor Hales
JAMDEK by Doug Malone
POLYTONAL PRODUCTIONS by Chaetan Newell
CONSTELLATION by Dave Zuchowski, Live Board Mix by Cooper Crain.
Mastered by Chaetan Newell.

Cover & Inside Paintings by Andre Daugavietis
Back Cover Painting, LP Label Drawings by Brent Fuscaldo
Insert Dedication by Matthew Jackowiak
Layout by Nick LaRoche.

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