D’Agaro’s previous Hatology release was Strandjutters, a trio date with Ernst Glerum and Han Bennink which showcased his avant-traditional style, equal parts Ayler, Don Byas and Webster. More recently, he has been collaborating with musicians on the Chicago scene; this new CD, recorded on a 2004 visit, finds him in the company of trombonist Jeb Bishop, bassist Kent Kessler, and veteran drummer Robert Barry, best known for his work with Sun Ra’s 1950s Arkestra. D’Agaro’s three compositions show his range in miniature: “Chicago Beer Coaster” is a shouting two-chord swinger, “Ultramarine #13” an abstract piece based on a graphic score, “Long Armed Woman” an Ellingtonian ballad. He also picks interesting tunes to cover: two lesser-known Ellington tunes, an Ayleresque rendition of the folksong “L’Ago Freschio,” Curtis Clark’s “Barry K,” and (via Clifford Jordan’s These Are My Roots) Leadbelly’s “Dick’s Holler”. The results are consistently pleasing, though lightweight: D’Agaro is not as focussed an improviser as a similarly-inclined saxophonist like Tobias Delius, and Kessler and the idiosyncratic Barry at times mesh awkwardly.

Nate Dorward

Cadence, December 2005