3 out of 5

Label: Astral Spirits

Produced by: Quin Kirchner

Though there’s a strong conceptual theme of experimental jazz running through Quinn Kirchner’s The Other Side of Time, it ends up dividing into some pretty disparate versions of that, between covers of some acclaimed jazz wackadoos – Sun Ra, Mingus – and Kirchner originals, which flip between some pretty driving, nigh-post rock grooves, and some more open-ended affairs.

Our first cycle of these goes exceedingly well, with Kerchner’s percussion blasting us through swaggering opener The Ritual – this does seem like some future state of jazz, if we’re influenced by the album title, as there’s a classic sensibility to the wind instruments and rhythm, while Kerchner grinds out some muscley magic on his kit. This rather naturally segues into an upbeat cover (Sun Ra’s Brainville), and then another original where Kirchner shows he can do traditional as well, and masters push and pull of the track with his restraint. Then, we go the other way: Drums and Tines pt. 1 is as it sounds, and compositionally is a sound collage of the instruments, liquid-like ebb and flow. Beautiful stuff.

Wondrous Eyes, a ten minute slow crawl of slink horns and hi hats, is where I start to lose the thread. It doesn’t really have a new sound or selling point versus what we’ve already heard, and is quite a chink in the pacing, when something a bit more direct could’ve been good. Alas, this mode continues essentially, for the album’s entire, lengthy midsection. And though Quinn’s giving nature is admirable – his version of the spotlight is supporting his crew – and the selection of covers undoubtedly tasteful, it’s only in brief flashes that the album shows off its range again, otherwise sticking to a slow pace, and a broad, beatless style.

It is expertly performed – organic, strong – and surely appealing / more appealing to a listener who favors open-ended, somewhat sedate experimental jazz. But i end up feeling a bit mislead by the gutsy bop of the openers and their daisy-chain sequencing, my attentions quite wandering the deeper into the disc i get.