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SEIZE THE TIME - Ted Sirota¹s Rebel Souls (Naim Jazz)
From the Rebel Souls¹ inception in 1995 through his earlier recordings with
the Delmark label, Chicago, Illinois-based drummer Ted Sirota has endeavored
to maintain a multifaceted mission statement in his work. Not only does he
champion the indispensible hard bop ethic (and its innate propensity for
diversification) in his original material, he structures it accordingly to
reflect a plethora of external socio political concerns.

Not since the immediate pre-Brew output of Miles Davis or Hugh Masekela¹s
tenure with Uni have these elements joined forces in an instrumental
capacity with such resolve and clarity. And unlike those artists, Sirota
articulates his vision without benefit of the clarion call of a trumpet.

Indeed, to successfully navigate such a blueprint from a drummer¹s
perspective is a gift that surfaces in the rarest of instances. In that
respect, Gene Krupa and Max Roach have heretofore made the greatest and most
sustaining impact. So much so that it can safely be said that no amount of
self-assurance could propel the endeavors of even the most gifted of
aspirants beyond the level of being a well meaning exercise in futility.

Unlike Roach and Krupa (as well as Masekela and Davis), Sirota and his combo
(which also includes alto saxophonist Greg Ward, tenor saxophonist Geof
Bradfield, guitarist Dave Miller and bassist Jake Vinsel) refreshingly opt
for a slightly more conventional means of execution in the articulation of
their concerns. To that effect, the innate wariness indigenous to Stephen
Foster¹s 1854 lament, Hard Times (Come Again No More) most succinctly
illustrates herein the call to everyman solidarity to which Sirota aspires.

To be sure, the most telling example of any degree of identification with
the Davis/Masekela ethic is Killa Dilla. Its solidarity with the Bar
Kays/Shaft school of individual assertiveness is not so much the result of a
so-called ³trickle down effect² (inferred or otherwise) of its original
motivating factors through the filters of an increased comfort level bred of
a combination of increasing familiarity outside of its original target
demographic as it is a means of providing a frame of reference to underscore
the ongoing validity of the concerns that served as its initial catalyst.

Indeed, a generous, two part interpretation of Miriam Makeba¹s Jomo Kenyatta
tribute, Polo Mze and an admittedly bravado-tinged (albeit successful)
undertaking of Charles Mingus¹ Free Cell Block F, ¹Tis Nazi U.S.A. serve to
reiterate Sirota¹s determination in maintaining an element of solidarity
with like minded pioneers while nonetheless emphasizing individual
expression. All things considered, the more flamboyant selections herein
manage to stand alone on their musical merit.

This is not to say that the balance of the set is bereft of that crucial
element. Quite the contrary. A faithful reading of the Clash¹s Clampdown is
as exuberant in its musicality as are guitarist Miller¹s Tollway and bassist
Vinsel¹s Don Azpiazu-flavored Little D.

Together, they provide a balance between the two factions that can at one
assuage the demands of either camp, while allowing any perceived impasse to
defer to the common goal. And with respect to the musical half of the
equation, Seize The Time, in the spirit of alto saxophonist Greg Ward¹s set
finale (with more than a subtle tip of the hat to the Dizzy Gillespie
Sextet¹s Good Groove), provides The Keys To Freedom.