All-sax jazz bands depend on the intertwining of looping motifs to do the rhythmic work of absent bassists and drummers and the harmonic stitching of chordal instruments – which makes balancing improvisation and structural discipline a delicate art. The Madwort Saxophone Quartet, led by chamber-jazz saxist and composer Tom Ward and including Led Bib altoist Chris Williams, draws on minimalism, the crossover work of San Francisco’s Rova Quartet, and the mathematically meticulous jazz of Tim Berne and Steve Coleman. This 2016 live set captures the group’s exultant sense of collective purpose, dynamic variety and improv confidence. There are melodiously clamorous harmonies of long sounds prodded by Cath Roberts’ baritone sax, squeezed and furtive features for softly-spinning soprano figures, guttural riff-swaps, and airily awestruck polyphonic pieces such as the closing Handbuilt by Robots. The Madworts make cutting-edge contemporary music, but it’s unexpectedly engaging emotionally, and deeply rooted in imaginative composition.
