Kuzu: The Glass Delusion | 4ZZZ Brisbane 102.1FM

- Kuzu is a Chicago-based free jazz trio consisting of saxophonist Dave Rempis, Bhutan-born guitarist Tashi Dorji, and percussionist Tyler Damon. The trio was formed after Rempis worked with each of Dorji and Damon individually across a 2017 tour, although Dorji and Damon have released three crushing, noisy improv albums, as well as a couple of live albums, collaborating as a duo since 2015. Outside of that, each member of Kuzu, and Rempis in particular, boasts an overwhelming back-catalogue. The trio released their first LP Hiljaisuus in 2018, a gripping three-song, two-composition, free improv project, that toed the line between jazz and rock. They released a live album in each of the two years that followed, but 2021 brings us the second Kuzu full-length: The Glass Delusion.

The Glass Delusion is structured similarly to Hilijaisuus, featuring an epic two-part composition, It Simply Becomes Jammed, the second part of which shares the B-side with the record’s other composition, Gnash. Given Rempis’ extra decade of experience, and ability to effortlessly shift between alto, tenor, and baritone sax, it would make sense for him to be the centrepiece of this trio, but, as impressive as he is, it couldn’t be any further from the truth, with each member bringing plenty to the table.

The first track kicks off with curious-sounding percussion through use of a contact mic, as Rempis flutters in and out, and minimalist, vacillating guitar. As the track gradually builds, so too do the elements each musician brings to the table. The pacing and the way the trio use volume is magnificent and allows you to really appreciate the interplay. It seems like each time one of them brings forth a cool idea, the other two are quick to respond with something equally memorable, while impressively not losing any cohesion.

As It Simply Becomes Jammed builds through crescendos, it becomes reminiscent of avant-garde free jazz-rock band Last Exit’s album Koln, which is a helluva comparison to make, with Sonny Sharock on guitar and Peter Brotzman on sax. The trio don’t simply reach climactic peaks on each track though, they stay there for extended periods, executing a full-body assault with explorative timbres, striking pentatonic sax melodies, pulsating, rapid-fire drumming, and thick, sharp guitar riffs and loops, fed through effects pedals. It’s within these waves of chaos where Rempis, Dorji, and Damon make clear what a special trio they are, and with each listen, I only seem to appreciate both their individual instrumental dexterity, and collective chemistry -well beyond the trio’s 4-year existence- more.

There’s seldom a fleeting moment for the listener, or Rempis, for that matter, to catch their breath, with even the sparser sections of the The Glass Delusion being scrupulously detailed. It never feels like the trio are meandering, as they seamlessly jump from one idea to another, which leaves the sections with more repetitive melodies with plenty of impact. The closing track reaches a particularly poignant climax with stunning sax musings buttressed by droning guitar and steadying percussion, before the sax and guitar wither away, and Damon introduces some hand chimes to gently release you from the album’s fiercely engrossing grasp. Whether Kuzu will ever reach as broad an audience as they deserve remains to be seen, but it will be a shame if they don’t, because each time I revisit this album and their debut, I’m growing convinced that they already have two modern jazz classics under their belts.

- Jack Jones.
<iframe style="border: 0; width: 100%; height: 120px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=3377463096/size=large/bgcol=f…; seamless><a href="https://rempisdorjidamon.bandcamp.com/album/the-glass-delusion">The Glass Delusion by Kuzu</a></iframe>