Verploegh & Baker - Singles (2021)

Singles, the fiery album by the duo of drummer Evan Verploegh and saxophonist Benjamin Baker, is the first release of the record label operated by the Extemporaneous Music Society. It’s an auspicious opening salvo from the latest initiative of the Kansas City collective.

“Locked Breath,” a two-minute burst of controlled ferocity, opens the album. The spirit of punk rock propels “Paved Lawn.” The duo ratchets back the vitriol without losing an iota of intensity on “Again Endangered.” The funk-infested “Remain in Dark” features righteous honking and pulverizing pummeling.

The 12-minute protest song “Necessity/Excess” doesn’t require vocals to convey a sense of societal indignation. The closing track “Ode to the Ghosts” possesses the sort of elegantly sensitive chaos associated with free-thinking jazz giants ranging from Charles Mingus to Henry Threadgill.

The potency of Singles shows the praise Plastic Sax has accorded the efforts of musicians associated with the Extemporaneous Music Society in recent months isn’t misplaced. The formation of EMS Records is another indication that the underground rebellion on Kansas City’s improvised music scene is gaining momentum.