Artful Dodgers is the result of what happens when “critical mass” meets opportunity — in this case, the chance to add a critical component at just the right moment to an already potent entity.

Three Story Sandbox, with guest artist, violinist Mark Feldman, reprises the inventive and delightfully musical free improvisation heard on its debut release Three Story Sandbox (Tall Grass Records, 2016). That project followed the highly-acclaimed Snakeheads & Ladybugs (2014), a brilliant album of improvised duets by two master jazz musicians, drummer Jack Mouse and multi-instrumentalist Scott Robinson. Equally adept at all styles of the jazz genre, their musical rapport is vividly captured.

For Three Story Sandbox, Jack and Scott added vocalist Janice Borla, describing her as having the musical knowledge, technique and comprehension of abstract concepts — traits possessed by the great master instrumental improvisers. The result was an album hailed as captivating, powerful, compelling, visceral and inspired, and a DownBeat Magazine Editor’s Pick.

The current release Artful Dodgers expands the trio to include guest artist Mark Feldman. A violin virtuoso, Feldman is known for his adventurous, genre-bending work in the worlds of jazz, improvised music and 20th century contemporary music. The addition of Feldman’s violin here exponentially expands the range of sonic possibilities and interactions.

1. Twin Rivers (3:25)
2. Kalahari Crossing (4:33)
3. Slip ’n’ Slide (3:39)
4. Brush Dance (2:39)
5. Kamakura (5:32)
6. Second Line Strut (4:08)
7. Tears for Ukraine (7:41)
8. Outback Inn (5:13)
9. Birth of a Rainbow (2:04)
10. Artful Dodgers (2:42)
11. Slapshot (2:24)
12. The Other Side of the Moon (2:49)
13. Fiddle Sticks (4:01)

With the album’s title referring to the nickname of a young pickpocket in Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist, a scamp and rascal known for his playful skill in deftly evading obstacles, inconveniences and other challenges, skills which also come into play in free improvisation, the album opens up with the playfully perky Twin Rivers and the atmospheric Kalahari Crossing (which features, and not for the only time, Janice Borla skating) and then we get the haunting Slip ’n’ Slide, the warmly embracing Brush Dance, and both the aching yearn found within Kamakura and the rhythmic Second Line Strut.

With the overarching premise of the album to make improvised music that sounds written – to create a spontaneous, conversational, yet organized interplay of sounds - the album continues onward with the acutely shimmering Tears for Ukraine and the quietly blithe Outback Inn, and they are in turn followed by the articulately mischievous Birth of a Rainbow, the low slung, titular Artful Dodgers, the album rounding out on the drum-fed Slapshot, the filmy gossamer of The Other Side of the Moon, closing on the generously joyful Fiddle Sticks.

Interplay is on radiant display throughout this album. The tracks offer a variety of settings — duets, trios, quartets — which comprise a broad array of textures and a full emotional palette, from exuberant joy to beguiling aural imageries. Jack’s total percussion mastery demonstrates his skills not only as an intuitive compositional soloist but also a sensitive, conversational accompanist.

Scott’s impeccable abilities and limitless creative imagination shine on tenor and slide saxophones, bamboo flute and East Indian gobichand. Janice freely exploits the full range of her vocal capabilities as if another instrumentalist, with consummate artistry. Mark’s technical brilliance on violin yields a gorgeous sound and a passionate, often fiery playing style.

When so much of what is called “free Jazz” is unstructured, chaotic, discordant and often unaccessible, the music on Artful Dodgers is in fact uniquely accessible. Each of its thirteen pieces is crafted to convey a mood, ambience and compelling atmosphere that makes each one a story unto itself. Despite the total spontaneity and freedom involved in making this music, it is powerfully structured, totally cohesive, richly musical, vividly virtuosic and absolutely enjoyable on every level. Another masterful recording by Three Story Sandbox.

Musicians & Instruments:
Janice Borla - voice; Scott Robinson – tenor saxophone, slide saxophone, bamboo flute, gobichand; Jack Mouse - drum set, Chinese opera gong, Japanese hyoshigi, Sabian Zodiac gong, Sabian thunder sheet, Sabian tam-tam, Japanese densho bell, Slaperoo slapstick; Guest Artist Mark Feldman – violin.

www.jackmouse.com