by Doug Ramsey
Jacám Manricks, Trigonometry (Posi-Tone).
A year after his stimulating Labyrinth (see theRifftides review here), the young Australian based in New York divests himself of the chamber orchestra and pares down to a quartet, adding guest horns 
on three pieces. The writing skills he displayed on the previous album are in evidence in the smaller context. Using trompe l’oreille harmonies, Manricks voices his alto saxophone, Scott Wendholt’s trumpet and Alan Ferber’s trombone to sound like a larger ensemble. “Cluster Funk,” as audacious as its title, is a prime case in point. It has a beautifully shaped Wendholt solo. As for Manricks’ own playing, it ranges from heart-on-the-sleeve lyricism in “Mood Swing” to a sort of post-Konitz earnestness in “Slippery” to bounds and leaps reminiscent of Eric Dolphy in, among other pieces, Dolphy’s “Miss Ann.” Pianist Gary Versace, bassist Joe Martin and drummer Obed Calvaire are the well-matched rhythm section..
