Magic Numbers (2006)
Quinsin Nachoff – tenor and soprano sax
Mark Helias – bass
Jim Black – drums
Nathalie Bonin – violin I
Noémi Racine Gaudreault – violin II
Jean René – viola
Julie Trudeau – cello
Magic Numbers (Songlines, 2006) brings together Quinsin Nachoff on tenor and soprano saxophone with bassist Mark Helias and drummer Jim Black, joined by a string quartet led by violinist Nathalie Bonin.
The string quartet functions as an equal voice rather than accompaniment, weaving counterpoint and texture into the trio’s momentum. Across the album, the foreground shifts constantly: at times the quartet carries the form while the trio lays out, and elsewhere the rhythm section drives the music forward while strings re-enter as a second engine. Black’s drumming ranges from rock-leaning pulse to colouristic shading, and the music can pivot quickly from hushed passages to hard-edged intensity.
“Magic Numbers delivers lush but labyrinthine writing where interwoven strings commingle with a rhythm section of astonishing dexterity.”
—Troy Collins, All About Jazz ★★★★
“But at all points on the album, Nachoff’s ability to write engagingly and insightfully for strings is jaw-droppingly impressive, and his overall achievement on this album is equally so.”
—Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
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