Threadgill's Circus Expands Into New Arrangements
Threadgill splits the album between his Very Very Circus group and a scaled-down ensemble built around guitars and cellos.
What makes Makin' a Move distinctive is how Diedre Murray, Akua Dixon, and Michelle Kinney reshape Threadgill's compositional voice. The three cellists anchor the album's second half, appearing on pieces scored mainly for strings and guitars rather than the full ensemble. This is not window dressing — the cellos are the main event, handled with the same attention Threadgill gives his horns elsewhere. They sit alongside Martin Aubert, Ed Cherry, and James Emery on classical and steel-string guitars, creating a tonal world that feels deliberate and sparse.
The first four tracks feature the Very Very Circus, Threadgill's working ensemble with Pheeroan akLaff on drums, Marcus Rojas and Edwin Rodriguez on tubas, Mark Taylor on French horn, and Myra Melford on piano. Here the sound is fuller, more rooted in the improvisational logic Threadgill has explored for decades. But the cello-and-guitar pieces that follow show him thinking differently about arrangement and color. Glenn Astarita's AllMusic review noted the album as "yet another fascinating glimpse of Threadgill's exclusive artistry," and the distinction between the album's two halves justifies that assessment — he is not repeating himself, he is asking different questions of each group.
This is mid-career Threadgill, working with confidence and enough resources to split his vision across distinct instrumental palettes. The album sits comfortably in his body of work without demanding you already know everything else. It rewards close listening because the cello writing is intricate and the guitar voices are varied in ways that unfold slowly.
Who's playing
Myra Melfordpiano
Martin Aubertclassical guitar
Ed Cherrysteel-string acoustic guitar
James Emerysteel-string acoustic guitar
Brandon Rossclassical guitar
Henry Threadgillalto saxophone
Pheeroan akLaffdrums
Edwin Rodrigueztuba
Marcus Rojastuba
Mark TaylorFrench horn
Henry Threadgill Very Very Circusperformer
Akua Dixoncello
Michelle Kinneycello
Diedre Murraycello
Where next?
More by Henry Threadgill
All 14 albums →
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
