Nels Cline, Andrea Parkins, Tom Raniey - Ash and Tabula (2004)

The idea behind Atavistic's Out Trios series appears to be a sound one. Put three compatible improvisers in a room, turn on the machines, and let 'em rip.Now although these particular artists don't play together frequently, they share skills on the highest level. They listen and respond to each other so quickly it's frightening, and they respond spontaneously with complementary colors. What's more, they cross genres as easily as the rest of us cross the street; they even make the occasional crash sound good.

Pick any one of the three, at any point in time. Tom Rainey is ridiculous throughout these procedings. A few seemingly random taps on a drum head imply more obvious structures a few bars down the road. Likewise, a repeated pattern creates momentary stability for his cohorts to take off from. He never locks into a groove for an extended period; there's always a door open at the end of the corridor.Andrea Parkins is known for her unique collection of keyboards—accordion, acoustic piano, analog synths, and laptop—but it's her taste in applying them that causes jaws to drop. On one tune, she references barrelhouse piano, while on another, she provides digital cloud cover for her companions to play under.Nels Cline avoids his standard approaches for the most part, delivering some of his most effective, off-the-wall playing captured on record. One moment, he's sending up S.O.S. signals in an electrical storm; another, he creates the sound of a swamp at twilight, though I think it's Parkins supplying the alligators.

Considered as a totality, this is strange, evocative stuff. "Ruination" begins with a suggestion of impending dentistry inside Godzilla's mouth, while "Alleys of North America" manages to find its way back to its aching piano intro after spending much time in deep space. These three musicians all have substantial discographies at this point, but this album rates near the top of any list of their recorded achievements. Michael Davis

Tom Rainey - drums

Andrea Parkins - accordion, effects, piano, electric keyboards, laptop samples

Nels Cline - guitar, effects

Recorded 5/8/2002.

Released by Atavistic in 2004 as Out Trios vol. 3.

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V/A - Corbett vs. Dempsey: Eye & Ear

"In late 2004 the Corbett vs. Dempsey gallery hosted Eye & Ear, an exhibit that was showing the works of musicians who are also visual artists; this album, which was originally available during the show as a CD-R, features seven tracks by various participants.

The album starts strong with a pair of jazz duos. “Jada” is a crackly acetate of a 1950 performance by the incomparable clarinetist Pee Wee Russell and pianist Michael Snow (a painter and an experimental filmmaker, respectively). Snow’s ivory-tinkling is rather late night, but Russell’s blowing is beyond ingratiating. Then comes the 2004 reunion of Peter Brötzmann, also playing clarinet, and drummer Han Bennink. Given the participants, the reluctance with which “Take 5” rises from silence and the restraint that governs their interactions is remarkable, but the intensity of its melancholy vibe is not. Sun Ra checks in with an a cappella rejection of romance that sounds like it was sung into a cheap handheld cassette recorder. It’s really just a trifle, but it affirms his roots in cornball pre-WW II songcraft. “Dickie’s Dream” by Dave Coleman & Friends is a winning small-group swing tune from 1943 or thereabouts that betrays none of bebop’s looming impact; tap your foot and sip your drink, this tune will serve you well.

The rest of the album is of more recent vintage and mainly Midwestern provenance. Chicago-based sound artist Lou Mallozzi’s electro-acoustic orchestration of whistles, crackle and groan makes no secret of its amplifier-dependent origins, which makes the growl of Sebi Tramontana’s untreated trombone seem like a brightly inked cartoon character dropped into a grainy black and white film clip from long ago. Mark Booth, of Tiny Hairs, contributes a contemplative acoustic guitar recital whose obvious debt to David Grubbs is ameliorated by the knowledge that Grubbs doesn’t play that way much anymore. Instrument inventor Hal Rammel’s “Weave & Daze” starts with field recordings of stormy weather, but soon leaves the outdoors behind for what sounds like a document of Rammel working at his tool bench".

Bill Meyer

1. Michael Snow (piano) & Pee Wee Russell (clarinet): Jada
recorded in Chicago, 1950

2. Peter Brötzmann (a-clarinet) & Han Bennink (drums): Take 5
recorded at LOFT, Köln on 4 February 2004

3. Sun Ra (voice): I Don't Believe in Love
recorded in Chicago, circa 1956

4. Dave Coleman & Friends: Dickie's Dream
recorded in Hollywood, 1943/44

5. Sebi Tramontana (trombone) & Lou Mallozzi (turntables, CDs, tapes, microphones): #2
recorded at ESS, Chicago, June 1999

6. Mark Booth (guitar, sine wave): November
recorded in Copenhagen, 2003

7. Hal Rammel (soundscape): Weave and Raze
recorded in Wisconsin, 2002

Originally released as a limited edition audio companion piece for Corbett vs. Dempsey's "Musician <-> artist" gallery opening in Chicago, December 3 2004.
Published by Atavistic in 2006.

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Rova Saxophone Quartet - As Was (1981)

"Simply put, As Was is a masterpiece of American creative music. These huge quartet recordings from the band's first incarnation with Andrew Voigt were first issued on Larry Ochs and Henry Kaiser's legendary Metalanguage label in '81, and have never been previously available on CD. Bay Area ROVA continue to make great music; they are the finest, most adventurous saxophone quartet in the biz. This record features some of their most memorable compositions, including the superb, r&b inflected "Paint Another Take Of The Shootpop," dedicated to Olivier Messiaen and Otis Redding, and "Daredevils," which Larry Ochs describes as "...a little hit of the circus." As Was has been remastered & resequenced from original tapes by Rova's Larry Ochs, UMS has restored the swank original cover to the form it was initially envisioned (when printed for the LP is didn't turn out the way the group wanted it to...). This one record shows how expansive and exciting the sometimes mundane saxophone quartet format can be, when deployed with the right combination of care and spunk"

"The ROVA Saxophone Quartet got started in late '70s Berkeley, nurtured by the thriving Mills College free music scene. Often credited with reinventing the notion of a saxophone quartet, the all-saxophone ensemble featured soprano, alto, tenor, and bass sax, and even, on occasion, "sopranino," or piccolo sax. Not surprisingly, the group was influenced by post-bop saxophone composers like John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, and Anthony Braxton. But it also counted as sources of inspiration avant-garde greats like musique concrete giant Edgard Varese and experimental pioneer John Cage, as well as ethnic musics from all over world.
Over the two-plus decades since the group's inception, its members have developed a synergistic, highly unique style of structured improvisation marked first and foremost by the dynamic interplay of different saxophone tones. ROVA's fierce commitment to creative music has taken them from a marginal place at the fringe of the avant-garde to a position as leaders in the new school of collective improvisation. The group has embarked upon collaborative endeavors with such noted boundary pushers as Braxton, Terry Riley, John Zorn, Fred Frith, the Kronos Quartet, and Alvin Curran. Their discography contains nearly 40 releases. They've even incorporated as a nonprofit. They're an institution.
One of ROVA's earliest recordings, As Was (1981), stands as a benchmark in the history of 20th century creative music. It's a riotous circus of competing and complementary reed sounds and a carefully considered study in contrasting textures". Jesse Ashlock, Epitonic.com

Jon Raskin: baritone, alto, soprano saxes, clarinet
Larry Ochs: tenor, sopranino, alto saxes
Andrew Voigt: alto, sopranino, soprano saxes, flutes
Bruce Ackley: soprano sax, clarinet

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