Deep Telling

by Joslyn LayneDeep Telling successfully pairs late '90s jazz leaders DKV Trio and guitarist Joe Morris for tightly bent, interactive improvisations. There is a natural intuition and understanding between Morris, percussionist Hamid Drake, bassist Kent Kessler, and tenor saxophonist Ken Vandermark that belies the fact that the Chicago group and Morris played together only twice before stepping into the studio in spring 1998. The pieces span a wide range of moods as the musicians split off into a variety of duo and trio lineups. The only numbers that feature the whole quartet are the opening cut "Standing Here," the low-key "Narrative" (one of the highlights of the album), and the closing piece, "'Telling' Suite."