Konijnehol I

Misha Mengelberg's large ensemble, the ICP Orchestra, wends its way here through a program in three parts. Following the brief, whimsical title piece (helpfully translated as "Forest Path Rabbithole I"), the band launches into a series of loose, decidedly off-liter takes on Ellington, generally tackling the real war-horses. Mengelberg's approach is always oblique at best, however, so even as the band sounds semi-traditional in one respect, the harmonies and written elaborations on the themes are surprising and humorously puzzling. For all the extensions into free playing, when they do hit a familiar mark, as on "Moodmixes Indigo," they prove quite capable of meeting and surpassing the standards of more staid interpreters. Michael Moore's clear, warm clarinet work is a standout feature of this section, although the overall sound of the ensemble is a little thinner than one might want for this sort of project. The concluding suite, grouped under the title "De Purperen Sofa" ("The Purple Sofa"), is a woollier affair, with dainty, semi-classical themes colliding with free squalls or percussive onslaughts from Han Bennink. Mengelberg's wry, not to say misanthropic, sense of humor peeks through from time to time, both in the compositions and in his own sparse accompaniment and there are vigorous instrumental contributions from several members, including trombonists Wolter Wierbos and guest George Lewis. But it's a difficult path for a newcomer; tread carefully.