''Target or Flag'' is an album by the American jazz reedist Ken Vandermark, recorded in 1997 and released on

Atavistic In biology, an atavism is a modification of a biological structure whereby an ancestral genetic trait reappears after having been lost through evolutionary change in previous generations. Atavisms can occur in several ways; one of which is when ...

. It was the second recording of the Vandermark 5, which includes Mars Williams on reeds,

Jeb Bishop Jeb Bishop (born 1962) is an American jazz trombone player. He grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and attended Jesse O. Sanderson High School. He has studied music (classical trombone performance) at Northwestern University, engineering and ...

on trombone and guitar,

Kent Kessler Kent Kessler (born January 28, 1957) is an American jazz double-bassist. Career Although born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, Kessler grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He began playing trombone at age ten. When he was thirteen, he moved with his f ...

on bass and Tim Mulvenna on drums.

Reception

In his review for AllMusic, Jason Ankeny states: "Vandermark possesses both a vast sonic range and impressive tonal strength, and backed by ace Chicago area players like Mars Williams and Kent Kessler, his most innovative ideas are executed to their fullest." '' The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' notes that some dedications "betray his affection for the urbane precision of prime West Coast jazz, and his own pieces make the point of following some of the precepts (counterpoint, tonal contrast) which that school lived by." The ''

DownBeat ' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...

'' review by Aaron Cohen states that "Vandermark knows the value of a working band, and the unit on this dics is the most cohesive that he's led... ''Target or Flag'' shows that while Vandermark's saxophone aerodynamics brought him an audience initially, it's his writing and bandleading skills that will build his lasting impact."Cohen, Aaron. ''Target of Flag'' review. ''DownBeat'' March 99: page 48-49. Print. ''Target or Flag'' won the '' Cadence Magazine'' Readers' Poll as the best album of 1998.Chicagoan Ken Vandermark awarded MacArthur Fellowship
at Jazz Institute of Chicago

Track listing

:''All compositions by Ken Vandermark'' # "Sucker Punch" – 7:14 # "Attempted, Not Known" – 11:19 # "The Start of Something" – 8:07 # "Super Opaque" – 8:55 # "Last Call" – 7:58 # "New Luggage" – 6:31 # "8K" – 6:41 # "Fever Dream" – 8:45

Personnel

* Ken Vandermark – clarinets, tenor sax * Mars Williams – saxophones *

– trombone, guitar *

–

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

*Tim Mulvenna –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

References

{{Authority control 1998 albums Ken Vandermark albums Atavistic Records albums