Composer and bandleader Daniel Levin is a creative cellist, in the spirit of wide-ranging improvisers like Erik Friedlander and Tom Cora. That is to say Levin doesn’t mind making the instrument groan and cry or slap and flap and scrape.
Levin explores the full range of the cello’s sonic possibilities. He’s not above making pretty music, but he sounds more invested in conjuring spirit and energy from the strings and body than in lulling anyone to sleep.
His quartet — which also features vibes, bass and viola — can get fully experimental, or they can evoke forward-thinking composer/performers like Eric Dolphy, whose “Out to Lunch” the quartet has covered. The quartet’s most recent release is called “Friction,” which seems like a quality or aesthetic that Levin is fond of. But it’s not all abrasive. Levin’s quartet has no drummer, and with Matt Moran’s vibraphone, the timbres of the group give off a glow, even if they sometimes throw a listener off the trail with what might sound like duck calls.
Listen to the quartet’s lovely and brooding 10-minute-plus “Chol” for a taste of how the group combines melodicism with atmospherics and exploration.
The Daniel Levin Quartet performs at Firehouse 12, 45 Crown St., New Haven, Friday, May 27 for two sets: 8:30 p.m. ($20) and 10 p.m. ($15). Information: 203-785-0468 and firehouse12.com.
