CD Review | AAAAUM (Self-produced, 2023)

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Self-published
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AAAAUM
Marc Decho Quartet
Self-produced, 2023

Montreal-based electric bassist Marc Decho has been a sideman on many recordings over his career, but with his debut album AAAAUM, it’s his time to finally step into the spotlight.

The Flow offers the quartet’s members a series of solo opportunities, starting with Luis Deniz on the alto saxophone. He opts for a swing-like refrain that shifts between low and high notes on a whim, an excellent display of improvisational skill. Eventually, Jeremy Ledbetter slides in with a slow keyboard solo that ramps up in complexity. Of all the quartet members, Ledbetter’s use of the chromatic scale feels the most natural. Decho jumps in with a chill electric bass performance that highlights just how well he sets the overall tone of the music. Marito Marques’s drumming is dynamic, and he provides excellent rhythmic accompaniment throughout. The musicians’ abilities to take centre stage, and then flawlessly slip into accompanying roles, speaks to the quartet’s masterful co-operation.

This track sets a precedent of innovation and dynamism on which the Marc Decho Quartet delivers. Ancient One sees all the musicians perform percussion at varied moments, resulting in changing rhythms that align with the interwoven, syncopated bass lines, powerful saxophone licks, and restrained keyboard. Slowdive has a great calming effect despite the ensemble’s previously confrontational sound, and Calle 23 is an equally successful upbeat, more traditional jazz track. This quartet is compelling and promising—their future work is not to be missed.