Taking its cues from this saxophonic diptych, the ensemble grasped onto interwoven solos and overlapping material as its themes for the set. Rarely was the spotlight on any one musician. To initiate the proceedings, the opening piece hinged upon Gamble’s gurgles and pecks amid the horns’ intent melodic lines.
Eventually Robbins joined Gamble in a joint improvisation, and the sonic density increased. Each band member had a firm hold on something that was distinct, yet influenced by what surrounded him. There was a diffusion of responsibility, as group mentality directed the intensity of the music.
The fluctuations in verve, although anchored by playfully uneven grooves, resembled a flock of birds. The music consisted of many individual parts, each instinctually tuned into the other, and therefore given to abrupt shifts and graceful swells.
Robbins, in assembling musicians with broad tastes and abilities, and leading them through imaginative forms with bits of simple melodic content, ensures that every performance will be a unique, organic, and collective physical act.
