In The Realm Of

EDITORIAL REVIEWS
Compact Disc

REVIEW
HENRY KAISER / SPIRIT / JOSHUA ALLEN / JOSHUA MARSHALL - In the Realm Of (Fractal Music 022765; USA) Featuring Henry Kaiser on 6-string bass guitar, Joshua Marshall & Joshua Allen on tenor saxes and Spirit on drums. The great Henry Kaiser deluge continues. After John Zorn and Ivo Perelman, Mr. Kaiser is next in line for the most prolific amount of discs (three dozen plus) over the past five or so years. Although the personnel is different on each of those releases, the consistency of inspiration and creativity remains high! For this disc, Mr. Kaiser has chosen two Bay Area saxists, Joshua Allen and Joshua Marshall. Mr. Marshall attended Mills Collge and studies with Fred Frith, Roscoe Mitchell and Pauline Oliveros. We don't know much about Mr. Allen although he has recorded with Kaiser on at least two previous CDs. Spirit is a rather mysterious figure who once lived in NY and now resides in the Bay Area. He has world with Julius Hemphill, Alan Shorter, Butch & Wilber Morris, Idris Ackamoor and Oluyemi Thomas. To make things ever more unique, Henry Kaiser plays 6-string bass guitar. For his on-line notes, Mr. Kaiser says that there is a rarely documented sub genre of of improvisation particular to the Bay Area. Mr. Kaiser claims to be inspired by the music/direction of Cecil Taylor, John Stevens and his longtime unit the Spontaneous Music Ensemble. Even while playing electric bass, Mr. Kaiser sounds like he is directing the energy/flow of this quartet. Several conversations are going on simultaneously, tightly woven threads somehow connected above and below the surface. Although I can't tell the saxists apart, both are in fine form, from lyrical refrains to sputtering eruptions, both are consistently shifting as the currents weave around them. I especially dig the interplay between Spirit and Mr. Kaiser, as both are elders and masters of free/improv. There is a wonderful organic flow/vibe going on here. Once we listened to enough free/improv, we recognize the language that those musicians are speaking to each other. There is a great deal to absorb here, hence the story or journey continues throughout. On rare occasion, Mr. Kaiser steps out and solos, putting his bass through some select devices. More often it is the ongoing interaction that is going on throughout that makes this so special. This is another wonderful addition to the never-ending Kaiser catalogue of jewels. --Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG

''For a strong dose of the sounds of everything right and good about current improvisational music techniques and aesthetics, one will want to find a copy of In The Realm Of.'' --Mark Pino, Disaster Amnesiac

Number of Discs: 1

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