The addition of James Brandon Lewis to the Messthetics mix changes the equation. What once felt like D.C.'s most gifted guitarist jamming with half of Fugazi (and what frequently got pitched as same), is now a bonafide jazz act on Impulse Records. The quartet's latest, The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis, hits this week and it's a continuation of the styles Joe Lally (bass), Brendan Canty (drums, percussion), and Anthony Pirog (guitars) were pursuing, but it's also an attempt for that trio to keep up with one of the most talented saxophonists alive, James Brandon Lewis.
Remarkably, the record coalesces maybe more than either of the previous two Messthetics albums, despite the addition of a horn to the sound. "Emergence" revs up with a fusion-y fervor, but Lewis sets the pace, letting his sax erupt in fiery bursts ahead of the rhythms chasing him around the tune. Even better is the spry "That Thang", where a groove builds around a strong hook and each player gets a chance to put his own stamp on it. The sideways blasts of melody in "L'Orso" suggest both Ornette Coleman and Robert Fripp as Lewis and Pirog take turns leading the rhythm section into the heart of the sun and around it. There's a playful riff at the start of "The Time is the Place" that is faintly reminiscent of late period Fugazi, but the tune soon centers itself around Pirog's guitar heroics and some Sonny Rollins-ish sax runs from Lewis. The track is, like many here on The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis a showcase for both of those players, with Lally and Canty rather modestly, though no less impressively, holding things together on bass and drum, respectively.
Things feel like they reach a new kind of peak on the emotive "Fourth Wall", the closer here. Lally anchors the start of this and Canty sets the tempo with the number feeling like it's already been in motion long before the tape recorder was turned on. Once Pirog hits his stride, and Lewis takes off, the whole thing just catches fire. It's a transcendent number, one which really lets James Brandon Lewis carry on in the tradition of Pharoah Sanders. There's a wildly melodic moment where all the instruments seem to be pushing forward on the same hook, but Pirog lets loose and Lewis answers. Ultimately, the whole record ends with heartfelt notes from James. While Sanders is the reference I reached for, it's really the warmth of John Coltrane that comes through in the Lewis runs near the conclusion of The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis. And, while I heartily recommend this whole record, there's something spiritual happening in "Fourth Wall", and it remains, for me at least, the heart of this album.
The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis is out this week via Impulse Records.
The Messthetics and James Brandon Lewis are playing Black Cat here in D.C. on March 29. See you there!
[Photo: Shervin Lainez]