Time Changes is the eighth collaborative album from bassist Mark Dresser and experimental pianist Denman Maroney in as many as fifteen years. A far more accessible listen than some of Dresser's more conceptually challenging work, Time Changes may be the novices' best entrance to his original sound world. There are a few typically obtuse pieces within, but mostly this is a session focused primarily on the subtleties of nuanced swing. As the title suggests, the session is dominated by studies in metric modulation which involve intensive time changes for the rhythm section, which is rounded out by drummer Mark Sarin. Joining the trio on four cuts is mezzo-soprano Alexandra Montano. Her lyric-less vocalese adds a delicate warmth to the tracks she contributes to. Moments of Bill Evans like melodic clarity abound on the album, even when following John Cage-esque sound explorations.

Consisting of a number of primarily blues-based structures that modulate between tricky tempo changes and syncopated polyrhythms, these tunes provide as much of a challenge for the intrepid listener as they do the trio. For example, "Harkemony" features Sarin's jaunty rhythm changes set dead center between Dresser's laconic behind the beat phrasing and Maroney's swirling, ahead of the beat piano lines. With all three playing in a slightly different time signature, it expands the depth of the tune in a way most piano trios don't. This recording session isn't all simply about the rhythm though. Texture plays an important role in defining the trio's aesthetic as well. Dressers' arco bowing and Sarin's grab bag of percussion notwithstanding, Maroney's technique combines various inside the piano manipulations such as sliding objects on the strings for gamelan flavored glissandos that evoke detuned steel drums as readily as the experiments of Classical Avant-Gardist Henry Cowell.

For the novice, Time Changes is an excellent entry point into Dresser's ever growing discography. For dedicated fans, this is a delightfully surprising album and one worthy of repeated listens.

Troy Collins
May 31, 2005