David Leon's "Bird's Eye"

I have long held that any musician can play with any other musician if the people involved listen and give each other space. For proof positive, one need look no further than this new album (out on Pyroclastic on March 8) by saxophonist/composer/improviser David Leon and his trio Bird's Eye (whose name provides the album's title). A Miami-born New Yorker of Cuban heritage, Leon undertook the study of Cuban rumba with Mexico City-based percussionist Manley "Piri" Lopez, virtually during the pandemic lockdown and later in person, along with Bird's Eye drummer Lesley Mok. Leon's interest in microtonal music led him to collaborate with the trio's third member, Korean gayageum player and vocalist DoYeon Kim.

The music on Bird's Eye doesn't have the percussive drive one might expect from an amalgam with Afro-Cuban roots although the clave is definitely in evidence at times, as on "Nothing Urgent, Just Unfortunate" (in this case, driven by Kim's gayageum -- a delicate instrument, but I once saw Jen Shyu pick one up and carry it while playing). Instead, their sound is light and spacious, almost like a conversation where you can hear the participants listening and considering their response. 

Leon is capable of Braxtonian angularity (as on the opening "You won't find it by yourself") or languorous lyricism (as on "to speak in flowers"). "A Night for Counting Stars" features Kim's vocal on a text by Korean poet Yun Dong-ju (a martyr of the resistance to Japanese occupation), with Kim and Leon weaving an intricate web of melody. Mok, who released their debut album The Living Collection on American Dreams last year, is the most subtle and intentional of percussionists, but also capable of stunning power; their full range is showcased on "Expressive Jargon I & III"). On that track, Leon shifts seamlessly between flute and alto. 

Apparently the members of Bird's Eye have made it a practice to cook and eat together as part of their rehearsal regimen. With that in mind, perhaps I might be excused for observing that this album is a savory blend of influences -- as Leon writes in the liners, "more gazpacho than ceviche." And we're on notice of three new talents to watch for. Pre-orders available now.