Polarization

by Richard S. GinellJulian Priester and his group Marine Intrusion produce sounds that are mostly polarized between gentle Europeanized reflections and probes into the avant-garde, all unified by the soft-focused, airy ECM sonic perspective. Priester does sound very much like J.J. Johnson in the forward thrust of his attacks, and his flutter effects bring back spaced-out memories of his work in the Herbie Hancock Sextet. The opening title track is a thoughtful overdubbed Priester duet with himself that empties directly out into "Rhythm Magnet," with Heshima Mark Williams' electric bass ostinato and relaxed Spanish-tinged piano by Curtis Clark. "Wind Dolphin" begins with a drum solo and soon becomes a series of gentle, then agitated free-form tumblings, all soothed by the ECM ambience. Welcome quantities of funky rhythmic instability and hard-rock flash from guitarist Ray Obeido enter the picture on "Anatomy of Longing." This is an often engaging record from a trombonist too seldom heard as a leader.