January 31, 2005

Steve Harris & ZAUM

Above Our Heads The Sky Splits Open
SLAM Productions

Stan Adler/Paul Chauncy/Jon Lloyd/Rob Palmer/Phil Wachsmann
Apparitions
Leo Records

By Ken Waxman

January 31, 2005

Saxophones, strings and samples unite these two British sessions that advance different strategies to adapt these juxtaposed textures to improvised music. The quintet featured on Apparitions does achieves its objectives, but very much on its own limited terms. With ancillary musicians on tap, the five players that make up ZAUM don’t do as well however, except for a final, spectacular, 20-minute track, which, depending on your predilections may or may not redeem the CD. MORE