'Precarious Towers' by Johannes Wallmann
Pianist-composer-bandleader Johannes Wallmann rises to precipitous heights in his 10th album, Precarious Towers, proving his ability to create a concept album, with extra-musical aspects streaming gracefully throughout. His band includes Down Beat magazine “rising star,” Chicago alto saxist Sharel Cassity, Milwaukee vibist Mitch Shiner, Madison bassist John Christensen, and Milwaukee drummer Devin Drobka. Wallmann, also director of the UW-Madison jazz program, calls this an “all-star band” of Midwestern talent.
Developed during the pandemic, the album and concept arose from watching his house-bound but determined daughter ambitiously build tall structures with Lego segments, until they fell. Her father sees such effort as reflecting human aspiration, but also hubris. The title tune is indeed rhythmically precarious, with complex off-center tempi, especially from drummer Devin Drobka, an expert in striking indirection and accent, while invariably still propelling a tune. Vibist Shiner elicits bluesy feeling reminiscent of Milt Jackson, and altoist Cassity displays a voice that sings as deftly as it swings.
“McCoy” honors Wallmann’s greatest pianistic influence, in a handsome Tyner-ish theme. Wallmann unleashes glittering arpeggios and resounding octaves. “Never Pet a Burning Dog” displays the composer’s wit, as an analog to proper pandemic precautions. The album climaxes with a three-part suite titled “Pandemica.” Part one, self-described as “pensive,” unfolds like an adagio etude. Part two, subtitled “Unreliable Narrator,” alludes to today’s head-swimming online media overload, with Shiner’s vibes well-articulating droll commentary. The final movement is explicit: “Defeat and Imprison the Conman Strongman.” It’s a dolorous yet ingenious Dorian-mode theme, with the “cognitive dissonance” of competing lines between bassist John Christensen and Wallmann’s left hand.
One might also read in all this, the precariousness of this nation’s democracy, yet infused with hope and collective determination.
