Henry Threadgill — Double Up, Plays Double Up Plus

Alto saxophone in Ensemble Double Up, expanded. Where Old Locks and Irregular Verbs paired two pianists, this sequel writes for three concert grand pianos, David Virelles, David Bryant, and Luis Perdomo, whose interplay becomes the centerpiece of the work, an intricate contrapuntal dance of varying attack, register, and density. The interval system is still here, eased just enough to give the players room for intuitive phrasing. The result is looser and more organic than its predecessor, but the bones are still Threadgill’s, multi-layered counterpoint and what the notes call odd-angled swing. Virelles puts the feel best: “It always feels like the blues, funky and soulful.”