Another Double Yellow Review
For all the little instruments (some of which whose names are indecipherable due to unusual type), the main focus of Double Yellow is with the horns. Many will recognize the label, ThankYou Records, as a vehicle for Michael Vlatkovich, a freestyle trombonist who never fits any molds. Here, he plays with a quartet that features individual and collective improvisations around usually laconic tempos and sparse densities. With all the potential diversity due to the varied instruments, often only a couple of players go at it at once, and the trombone. trumpet, and tuba share honors with what sounds like, at various times, vibes, percussive elements, and flute-like tones. Trumpeter Rob Blakeslee is given room to explore in his characteristically lyrical way. Actually, much of the music is melodious, though not of any particular melody. Bill Roper lays down some lovely lines on tuba on "Aurora Borealis," backed by Brad Dutz on various little instruments. Michael Vlatkovich toots his bone throughout, with a clear, ringing sound, but he is also constrained by the arrangements. The trombonist shows a more restrained side here than usual, as the ambiance is not designed to display virtuosity. Instead, the individual contributions are very much subordinated to the sound of the collective. The pace rarely quickens, and yet there is fascinating interplay that requires close listening. Less compelling, perhaps, than other recordings by some of these performers, including Vlatkovich, it is still important and intriguing for the different perspectives it shows.Steven Loewy, Cadence - november 2000
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