Michael Formanek’s Ensemble Kolossus: The Distance (ECM, 2016) ****½

We’re working our way through the combinations – recently we had solo, duo and trio weeks, and this week we check out some larger than average bands, starting with one that has been waiting far too long for a review on the Free Jazz Blog…

By Paul Acquaro

Baltimore-based bassist and composer Michael Formanek has a concise but impressive list of recordings as a leader, including Rub and Spare Change (2010) and Small Places (2012) on ECM, and a very impressive list of recordings as a sideman. He was most recently mentioned on the blog with the group Thumbscrew, with guitarist Mary Halvorson and drummer Tomas Fujiwara, who also are a part this powerful big band recording from early 2016. The Distance is not only a new notch in the bassist’s discography, but an incredible showcase for his compositional prowess, and a sumptuous listening experience for the rest of us.

This review is nearly a year late – The Distance was released around this time in 2016. As winter turned to spring, summer, and fall, it continued to ‘ripen’ on my harddrive. When I finally cleared away all the other music to give the Ensemble Kolossus due listening, it somehow was winter again. While I kick myself for waiting so long, I can only say the music is timeless. This album is a gorgeous big band recording that embraces a sound that only a large ensemble can bring to life with its orchestral voicings, imaginative solos, unusual song structures and clever references to the big band genre.

The album begins with the unhurried title track. Formanek displays the rudiments of his sound – long flowing chords that move gracefully from phrase to phrase. There are few individual voices here to start, instead, we hear a flowing and dramatic melody delivered by the ensemble (see a list of all participants below). A lovely saxophone solo emerges from the soothing waves and then is subsumed again. Next, we move into the ‘Exoskeleton’ suite …