It’s very difficult to find any kind of handles on Funcall, as anything familiar or comfortable that can provide you with a way into this work seems to have been purposely avoided. It’s uncompromising free improvisation from some of Australia’s more interesting jazz musicians, trumpeter Scott Tinkler, drummer Ken Edie, violinist John Rogers, and pianist Marc Hannaford. Yet despite the jazz instrumentation and the players pedigree, it’s a very unmusical outing with all the players throwing jarring little fragments of sound into the air haphazardly, hoping they’ll be swept up into some interesting new form purely through strength of numbers. Sometimes it seems to work the drums, violin, trumpet and piano shaken into this incredible previously inconceivable run, yet it’s so stop and start that it’s never allowed to travel to far. It’s simultaneously incredibly disciplined playing and totally off the wall. It would be fascinating to know what the musicians said to each other prior to recording, if only to give a hint of what they’re working towards. But that seems to be the point, you’re on your own. They split down into duos, trios and the pieces evolve with a curious fractured momentum, but really what’s happening here is anyone’s guess. At times it feels like they’ve put too many limitations on themselves and seem to purposely avoid going where you feel the music wants to take them, yet a few seconds later you find yourself marveling at how they’ve managed to piece things together. It’s a very curious listen. It feels like exceptional playing but you’re not sure how or why. If you like your music way out, then welcome home.
-Bob Baker Fish
