Flamethrower
Chicago Underground is the handle used by cornetist Rob Mazurek and drummer Chad Taylor. The final designation can beDuo, Orchestra, or, as here, Trio--depending (naturally) on the number of people joining in. What's more, the lineup for Chicago Underground Trio'sFlamethroweris actually a quartet that features bassist Noel Kupersmith and guitarist Jeff Parker. Confused? All four are part of the busy circle of musicians who move between the postbop, freeform jazz circles and the Windy City's shape-shifting postrock scene. The music onFlamethroweris often thoughtful, filled with melodic, sometimes sonorous phrasing. Keeping things from getting too chill, the group creates a backdrop of free-jazz musings and filigrees, odd electronic loops, and the pitter-patter of percussion. Parker and Mazurek do much of the lead work, but seldom intersect, opting to take turns instead. Like artists working with splashes of sound, the four create impressionistic aural works that are nothing less than magical.--Tad Hendrickson