Dynamic Maximum Tension

Darcy James Argue's Secret Society

Released on 9/8/23 by Nonesuch
Main artists: Darcy James Argue's Secret Society
Genre: Jazz

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Dynamic Maximum Tension is Darcy James Argue and Secret Society's follow-up to the much-praised Real Enemies, a 2016 release that riffs on America's paranoid politics. Though only the fourth album by Argue and his big band since debuting in 2009 with Infernal Machines, each release is musically complex and conceptually rich; Argue's compositions take a while to absorb, and, presumably, to compose, rehearse, and record.

Argue wanted to pay homage to creative figures who can offer models of forward-thinking optimism and a sense of agency as a reaction to the difficult times in which we live. They include visionary architect, designer and theorist Buckminster Fuller; mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing; and actress, singer, and writer Mae West.

Opener "Dymaxion" is dedicated to Fuller. (A portmanteau of the words "dynamic," "maximum," and "tension," Fuller coined the term to refer to highly efficient designs.) Here, Matt Clohesy's excellent bass playing anchors a swirling, well-designed arrangement, and Carl Maraghi's baritone sax solo excites as he navigates his way through its intricacies.

"Single-Cell Jitterbug," (also dedicated to Fuller as well as singer and bandleader Cab Calloway), and "Mae West: Advice" are two of the most upbeat tracks. The former nods to the popular dance associated with Calloway and swing music in general. (The composition borrows its title from a Fuller folding sculpture with the same name.) Guitarist Sebastian Noelle unspools buoyant, clean-toned lines that nicely play off the old-school-inspired horn chart.

"Mae West: Advice" features vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant singing lyrics written by the poet Paisley Rekdal–adapted from her original poem of the same name. The incomparable Salvant brings out the aural textures and playfulness of the words—all those clicking consonants, all that sassy advice!

These two pieces bookend the 35-minute "Tensile Curves," a response to Duke Ellington's "Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue." Several soloists blow over the impressive arrangement, including violinist Sara Caswell who plays a hardanger d'amore, a fiddle with ten strings. From the piece's tense intro to its slow-moving final section, "Tensile Curves" grips the listener. This narrative-in-sound demonstrates the integration of soloist and ensemble that stands as a hallmark of this stellar 21st century big band. © Fred Cisterna/Qobuz

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Dynamic Maximum Tension

Darcy James Argue's Secret Society

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Dymaxion