March 1997

Malaby/Sellers Quartet
Cosas
Nine Winds Records

By Marcela Breton

Tenorist Malaby and trombonist Sellers are compelling soloists on these nine free jazz numbers, all originals. Malaby is the intense, wild one, Sellers the formalist. The combination/contrast works, especially with the capable Michael Formanek on bass and Billy Mintz on drums. All of the numbers are complex musical explorations with "Cosas," "Hamza," "Shimmering Shibboleth," and "He Lacked the Imagination to Suffer" particularly extended.