Cuong Vu: Accelerated Thoughts

Cuong Vu delights in contrasts, and builds his compositions by juxtaposing rather than blending. "Accelerated Thoughts" starts with Cuong sputtering out a start-and-stop melody in a bop vein, while bassist Stomu Takeishi lofts out whole notes and half notes that seem part of an entirely different song. Meanwhile, drummer Ted Poor slams the skins like an outcast from a rock band. But then everybody changes roles what is this, musical chairs? with Takeishi playing the part of a heavy metal bass demon and Cuong taking a fierce energy-jazz solo. Despite the apparent contrasts, it's clear that these musicians are a cohesive unit, as they demonstrate in the varied types of interaction displayed during this 6½-minute track. Cuong Vu is not going to be easy to pin down, as one might expect from a musician who has played with everyone from David Bowie to Dave Douglas, Laurie Andersen to Pat Metheny. But this bold artist definitely knows how to mix it up.