January/February 2007

Tineke Postma
For the Rhythm
Munich Records

By Thomas Conrad

Dutch soprano/alto saxophonist Tineke Postma has a hard, appealing sound on both instruments and a free-flowing imagination that can contain wide contrasts of texture and mood within the same improvisation.

Another positive first impression of For the Rhythm (her second recording as a leader) is its balance and unity as a complete album statement. Postma’s compositions are intelligent and purposeful and varied. Every track has strong blowing but also direction. Postma uses guitarist Edoardo Righini, keyboardist Rob van Bavel and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington like a painter building a collage. She configures them in opposition or unison, in counterpoint or alone, and manipulates colors by changing instrumentation (her own two horns, acoustic or electric guitar and piano).

“Song for Sea-Tee” and “Summersong” are representative of Postma’s skills as a designer of group form. But the piece that proves Postma is a special player is Gordon Jenkins’ “Goodbye,” an alto/acoustic piano duet. She pieces it out so carefully and sings it with tightly held passion. Her hoverings and sudden releases convincingly render this great song’s progress through reflection and the pain of loss to resignation.