Sana Nagano excels at high-flying avant-jazz violin in a variety of settings, including as the leader of her own groups. For her latest full-length, she contracts the lineup to a trio of Karl Berger on piano and vibraphone and Billy Martin on drums and percussion. Recorded on August 18, 2020, the album documents a needed respite from pandemic isolation, with the release of emotions palpable across seven tracks. Anime Mundi is out now on 180 gram vinyl, digipak compact disc, and digital through 577 Records.
Sana Nagano’s first full-length as leader, the digital-only Inside the Rainbow, self-released in 2014, was also the handiwork of a trio, with Karl Berger additionally featured, this time specifically on vibraphone, along with John Ehlis on guitar and Nagano, of course. It is an impressive showing for Nagano, who extends the possibilities of avant-jazz violin without standing in the shadows of the established greats on the instrument in the style (a short list: Leroy Jenkins, Billy Bang, Malcolm Goldstein, and Mark Feldman).
Some might be wondering how relative newcomer Nagano landed avant-jazz heavyweight Karl Berger on her debut recording. Well, maybe let’s scale back the experience-based hierarchy a smidge, but do know that Nagano joined Berger’s Improvisors Orchestra after meeting the drummer-vibraphonist in 2011, and also dig that both Berger and Billy Martin are described in the text accompanying Anime Mundi as Nagano’s mentors (her contact with the drummer came through Berger’s Creative Music Studio, where Martin is currently Executive Director).
Nagano also plays on In a Moment, Berger’s 2018 release for John Zorn’s Tzadik label. Additionally, she took part in Brooklyn Raga Massive’s Ragmala – A Garland of Ragas 3LP/2CD form 2019, is a member of Sarah Bernstein’s VEER Quartet (with a self-titled album released last year), and plays in experimental pop duo Peach and Tomato with violist-composer Leonor Falcon.
To inch closer to the album under review, Nagano plays in avant-bluegrass trio Astroturf Noise with mandolinist Sam Day Harmett and bassist Zachary Swanson; their eponymous LP came out in 2020 on 577. Astroturf Noise have the follow-up Blazing/Freezing due out February 17, also on 577 (a pre-release vinyl single is available now).
In her website’s store, Nagano calls 2021 release Smashing Humans for 577 her “first official album,” which might relate to matters of format, as Inside the Rainbow was digital-only and Smashing Humans is still available on vinyl and CD (as is the debut from Astroturf Noise). But that’s just supposition; what’s clear as crystal is the powerhouse jazz-punk-prog of Smashing Humans (the handle also serving as the moniker of the quintet). Suffice it to say that anyone amenable to Trevor Dunn’s Trio-Convulsant should find Nagano’s second full-length to their liking.
But this is all lead-up to Anime Mundi, which is an exhilarating listen, capturing the trio in free improvisational mode. The abstraction of opener “Timeless Eyes” immediately reinforces the lack of compositional planning, with Berger playing piano for the track and Nagano soaring and wiggling and sawing like a champ.
It’s not all elevated formlessness, however, as Martin impacts the interactions with some tangible rhythmic progressions (or what Nagano calls grooving). He continues on the next cut, “Apocalypso,” Anime Mundi’s standout (and breaking ten minutes, longest) piece, with Berger staying on piano and Nagano utilizing effects in a manner that briefly suggests a mutated soprano sax has entered the scheme.
In the midst of “Apocalypso,” Nagano begins bowing up an unmitigated maelstrom, and just when it seems she’s plateaued, she takes it higher, and then she takes it even higher, as Berger dishes some fine post-Tyner-isms and Martin gives his kit a good battering. From there, “Planet Kintsugi” takes it down a few notches, beginning with Berger’s piano, his contemplative explorations mildly reminiscent of Paul Bley as Martin strikes what sounds like a cowbell in the distance.
The intensity does rise, particularly after Nagano enters the dialogue. Martin also leans into his grooving zone, only to go full-flower with the discernible rhythms in “Tears,” with Berger switching to vibes and Nagano, after ramping up to an swirling apex, settles down and brings her cohorts along for a wonderful passage that borders on the tranquil.
Had Nagano and company just knocked out a go-for-broke platter of improv mania, that would’ve been just fine, as these three have the stamina and creative verve to inhabit such a region expressively. But Anime Mundi’s spectrum is much broader, with “Siamese World” leaning into the effects (or as credited, fx) and Martin shifts his focus to percussion.
Berger returns to the keyboard for “Siamese World” and then stays there for “Zoomies,” which swings us back into the neighborhood of improv scorch, though in the back end the playing does settle down, with Berger and Martin engaging in some subtle cyclical patterns and Nagano closing out the piece with a wonderful extended gnawing tone.
Closer “The Empty Ocean” is spacious and increasingly quiet as it unwinds, in some ways reminiscent of Nagano’s approach on Inside the Rainbow. Berger begins on piano and migrates to vibes during the track. Here and across the whole of Anime Mundi, the magic and the sheer range of free improvisation is palpable.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
A
