Elliott Levin is a strong tenor player whose playing evokes late Coltrane or, at times, Albert Ayler and subsequent champions of the tradition. Though his playing is quite intense, it never sounds in abandon. Levin exhibits a curious ability to be simultaneously controlled and frenzied. His interpretation of Expression-period ‘Trane marks him as a tenor man worth checking out. Dominic Duval and Denis Charles are familiar names in the free-music lexicon and they are joined by bassist/cellist Akira Ando to give Levin the outstanding support one would expect. Passages where cello and bass pizzicato around under the soaring tenor, while Charles holds a swing groove, are particularly enjoyable.
Elliott Levin Quartet: The Motion of Emotion
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