Just under a minute into “Mu-Min,” the lead track on Meshell Ndegeocello’s 2005 jazz album, The Spirit Music Jamia: Dance of the Infidel, something magical happens. On top of Ndegeocello’s dub bassline and Chris Dave’s steady beat, an alto saxophone starts to spew rough, dirty lines that slither and sting, but never overstay their welcome. The solo lasts less than 30 seconds, but there’s a world of music in it: silence, freedom, frustration, the blues. Unmistakably, the improvisation belongs to Oliver Lake, a veteran horn man who, in addition to cofounding important free-jazz ensembles like the World Saxophone Quartet and Trio 3, has blown with everyone from Björk to A Tribe Called Quest.
At Roulette, Lake will celebrate his 70th birthday by helming two very different nights of music. On Friday, he’ll perform improvised duos with eight other musicians. The evening should run particularly hot, given Lake’s chosen sparring partners. Pianist Orrin Evans and commanding drummer Nasheet Waits are members of Tarbaby, a fiery group with which Lake often guests. Alex Harding has conjured burly bari sax for Lester Bowie and David Murray. Joe Daley’s nimble tuba was once a launching pad for Sam Rivers. And Pheeroan akLaff’s smart, heavy grooves have been integral to Lake’s music since the ’70s.
Saturday’s show features the 17-piece Oliver Lake Big Band, which includes Chris Beck, a solid young drummer who also plays in Lake’s Organ Quartet. This majestic, thunderous ensemble works infrequently, but raises a ruckus anytime it does.—Brad Farberman
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