The Chicago Underground Trio's third album, Slon, was conceived (although not recorded) during their 2003 "No War" tour of Europe, a trip that coincided with the early days of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The first piece is called "Protest" and the album is dedicated "To all the people who have lost their lives at the hands of U.S. imperialism." So it's a political record, obviously, and an anti-war statement-- and it may also be the Trio's apology to the world for what they and many others feel is a corrupt and malicious U.S. administration.
Slon is also entirely instrumental, which happens to be my favorite kind of political music. As a result, "Protest" works on several levels. Chad Taylor's forceful drumming is the driving surge and Noel Kupersmith hammers out a bassline that sounds like a variation on the theme to Mission: Impossible while Rob Mazurek charges forward on cornet, ironically referencing the martial roots of his instrument while mixing anger into his tone. It's a powerful piece of music given an extra intriguing wrinkle by the subtle processed sounds that cycle through its final third.
The continued incorporation of electronics into the Chicago Underground Trio's music (both Mazurek and Kupersmith are credited with "computer") is one the best things they have going for themselves. The squishy German glitches that underpin "Slon" sound great with a horn floating above them, not unlike Jan Jelinek's collaboration with Computer Soup. "Palermo" continues in Tron land, folding field recordings into a hypnotic rhythm loop and setting them against a swooning keyboard line. And "Kite" begins as a completely abstract piece-- with creepy drones that sound pulled from the circuit board of an early Raymond Scott experiment-- before the band adds various improvised horn squeaks, rimshot taps and e-bow groans. So while "Kite" has a whiff of classic 1950s avant-garde, the Trio add sweetener, upping the accessibility.
Yet, when the Trio are so inclined, they can sound downright traditional, as on "Sevens", where Mazurek invokes Freddie Hubbard and Taylor manhandles his cymbals like mid-60s Tony Williams. The trad instruments also dominate on the funky "Shoe Lace"-- which has hints of hard bop-- and the wistful midtempo closer "Pear", which finds Mazurek with a mute and Taylor dutifully tapping out the "ch-ch-ch" on the ride.
While like-minded bands such as Tortoise and Isotope 217 can seem stymied by the endless possibilities of the studio, the Chicago Underground Trio seem to always eventually return to jazz structure and rhythm. So although the Trio operate within a smaller sphere than many of their contemporaries, they remain open to possibility and produce inspired combinations of seemingly different sounds-- and the economical and engaging Slon is evidence that they're on to something.
