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MOPDTK is led by bassist Moppa Elliott and plays its original songs–which are explicitly modeled after classic tunes, forms, and trends of modern jazz, mainly from the 50s and 60s–with a great deal of irreverence and tongue-in-cheek humor. Performances veer off in all kinds of directions, either breaking down into pure chaos or shifting into schlock like prefab disco, and then snap back into form. I happen to love MOPDTK’s records, including the brand-new This Is Our Moosic (Hot Cup), but from what I’ve heard, the band’s characteristic diversions are more extreme and absurd onstage, even to the point of self-indulgence.
MOPDTK trumpeter Peter Evans lends his talents to the band’s yukfest with outsize gusto, but in other settings he’s one of the most serious, focused, and impressive contemporary musicians I’ve heard–some of the same locals who’ve reacted to MOPDTK with disgust are awed by Evans’s solo work. He has apparently limitless chops and flexibility, plus a profound grasp of not only jazz tradition but also classical and experimental music–and he’s only 26! I can’t think of another trumpeter of his generation that can match his talent and potential.
Jacob Anderskov & Airto Moreira, Ears to the Ground (ILK)Murs, Murs for President (Warner Brothers)James Carter, Present Tense (Emarcy)Mary Halvorson, Jessica Pavone, Devin Hoff & Ches Smith, Calling All Portraits (Skycap)Anthony Braxton, Quartet (Moscow) 2008 (Leo)
