Geof Bradfield, Myra Melford, Ben Goldberg & Dana Hall - Open Or Close (2026) [Hi-Res]

Geof Bradfield, Ben Goldberg and Dana Hall unveiled a unique trio (two woodwinds and drums) on General Semantics (Delmark 2020), garnering critical acclaim from DownBeat and NPR's Fresh Air for their “adventurous and democratic” approach. Open or Close expands the trio to a quartet with the addition of iconoclastic pianist-composer Myra Melford, resulting in a debut abounding with synergy and the sound of surprise.

True to the group's collaborative spirit, all four musicians contributed material. Hall brought in the opener and title track, Ornette Coleman’s “Open or Close,” first recorded in 1979 by Old and New Dreams. After an elastic melody statement, the quartet morphs fluidly in and out of quartet, trio, duo, and solo formations, a practice they exploit to great effect throughout the recording.

Bradfield, who regularly draws on African source material, contributes a rollicking arrangement of South African bassist Johnny Dyani's “Lonely Flowers” with Goldberg assuming the bass duties on contra alto clarinet. “No Brand” offers tribute to another giant of African jazz, pianist Abdullah Ibrahim, with Melford’s piano and Bradfield’s soprano intertwining around the syncopated, earthy groove.

“Study of the Blues” and “Three Ingredients” showcase two aspects of Goldberg’s wide-ranging compositional voice. While both open with duos between Goldberg and Bradfield — clarinet and tenor on the first, contra alto clarinet and bass clarinet on the second — they rapidly depart for different territories. As the name suggests, “Study” digs deep into the roots of the music, while “Ingredients” prods at the outer limits with quirky and intense collective improvisation.

Melford explores her affinity for the visual arts in her through-composed “A Line With a Mind of Its Own,” the title a nod to painter Cy Twombly's observation that in his work a line “does not illustrate; it is the sensation of its own realization.” “The Kitchen” begins with a ferocious solo exposition by Hall before evolving into a series of improvisations framed by incisive compositional gestures from the quartet. The quartet follows with a sharp left turn into Hall’s infectious “Aargh,” closing out the proceedings with wailing, joyful excursions over Hall’s NOLA-infused street beat.

GEOF BRADFIELD tenor & soprano saxophone, bass clarinet
BEN GOLDBERG clarinet & contra alto clarinet
MYRA MELFORD piano
DANA HALL drums & cymbals