The Subway Ballet

Album Review

The idea of a "subway ballet" is a rather strange one, mixing the idea of a noisy mode of transportation with the most subtle of art forms. Obviously, this will be a ballet fit for modern dance, the kind, say, that Charles Mingus might have written. Randy Sandke, in fact, has gathered a rather large group called the Metatonal Big Band that is somewhat reminiscent of Mingus' bigger outings. The Metatonal Big Band can play it soft and easy, as on "Pas de Deux," or downright loud and dissonant as on "Dance of the Downtown Punks." It should be noted that while the entire work is divided into 14 parts, it's more or less of a piece; in this aspect, then, The Subway Ballet is not unlike Rhapsody in Blue. One of the elements that make Sandke's suite so interesting is the spacious arrangements and unusually instrumental pairings. On the very short "Electriglide," the piece begins with a walking bassline, then adds flute and trumpet to good effect. The album is filled out with a number of cuts from 1998, including "Red Hook Blues" and "How Did It Get So Late." The Subway Ballet is both intriguing and unusual, and should intrigue jazz fans tired of the same old same old. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide