Alternate Moon Cycles Live at The Land School by Rob Mazurek

Review: Rob Mazurek - Alternate Moon Cycles Live at The Land School

In 2014, the estimable Chicago-based label International Anthem released its first album: cornetist and composer Rob Mazurek's Alternate Moon Cycles. It's a live recording of Mazurek, joined by Matt Lux on electric bass and Mikel Patrick Avery on organ, performing at the Chicago bar Curio in 2012. The meditative result is marked by sustained cornet tones, gently throbbing low end, and serene sonic details.

Fast forward to December 2025, when a concert—featuring the Alternate Moon Cycles trio playing in the round—concluded International Anthem's year-long celebration of its 11th anniversary. A recording of the performance, which took place at the South Side Chicago experimental art space The Land School, finds the group crafting an hour-long piece, dubbed "Moon Treader," that is now available as a Qobuz exclusive.

There are notable differences between the two releases. For starters, Mazurek is more expansive on the new album, even though he still isn't afraid to limit himself to a single pitch for stretches. (On the earlier recording he took this constraint further, using only one pitch for long periods of time.) 

Mazurek's playing on "Moon Treader" can evoke Miles Davis's often ominous work from the 1970s. Mazurek's eerie statements, along with Lux and Avery's contributions on various instruments, can conjure dark moods quite unlike the blissed-out vibe of the Curio gig. But other passages are brighter; rattling bells, frolicking flute, and chanting create an atmosphere that contrasts with the gloomy parts.

During one section, the music is driven by the propulsive rhythms of Lux's bass and Avery's drums, while Mazurek lays out lines redolent of blues and folk or lets loose edgier flurries. Towards the end, a tense, vibratory stasis settles in, bringing the piece to an intriguing, if troubled, conclusion—one that befits the state of the world.  © Fred Cisterna/Qobuz