House of Return by Cryptogramophone (2008-06-10)

Despite five unfailingly inspired albums and his stewardship of a decade's worth of left-of-center avant-jazz on his Cryptogramophone label, Jeff Gauthier still isn't president of the world. And look, as much as I recognize that House of Return isn't going to change that, I would gladly renounce my American/Earth citizenship and move to any country/planet where such supreme levels of creativity as are on display on the album are rewarded with political favors and decanters full of the finest available tequila.Anyone even loosely acquainted with the L.A. jazz underground will be unsurprised by the symbiotic interplay of the five-legged Goatette -- of COURSE the playing all around is unparalleled in craft, quirk and elegance. The Cline bros. unload their genetic predispositions towards brilliance all over the place, whether its Nels' weirdo skronk on "Friends of the Animals" or Alex's expansive cymbalism on "Dizang." Joel Hamilton pinions every thick groove and leans forward as much as he keeps time. Dave Witham just gets better and better with each Goatette release, and on House of Return he's often the musical Elmer's, fusing together the edges with, ya know, fusion. Gauthier's classical-obsessed violin tone is unmistakable, his solos inventive, melodic and un-flashy (does jazz violin get better than the wistful, fluttering solo at the beginning of "Biko's Blues?" nay.)As on past releases, it's the diverse set of compositions that shine the brightest on House of Return. The customary gorgeousness of Eric Von Essen's melodies bookend the album with "Biko's Blues" and "Dissolution"; Nels Cline's "I.O.A." has a slow, wide-open, mystical pulse that I recognize from Mahavishnu Orchestra's "Dawn"; Alex Cline's "Dizang" drones its way to a layered crescendo that crosses majestic mountain song with tumbling percussion avalanches. Tops might be the Gauthier-penned title track, with its bold melody, wide-open comping plains, and slowly evolving inside/outside shuffling.Thing is, there's this overriding patience to House of Return -- no matter how funky, soupy, frenetic or out there the music gets, the Goatette has it all under control. There's stillness at the core, and everything shoots outward from there. Zen music. Magnifique. To coin the most obvious of jokes that will hopefully be in wide circulation very soon: you will be returning to House of Return often.