Moe! Staniano’s Moe!Kestra

2 Rooms of Uranium inside 83 Markers
Edgetone Records EDT 4064

Frank Zappa once said something to the effect that writing about music was like dancing about architecture. While the sentiments may be apt, with this CD Bay area percussionist-composer Moe! Staniano has created a conduction for interior design. Using two rooms in the now-defunct Oakland Box Theater, Staniano positioned members of his 31-piece Moe!Kestra in separate areas of two rooms and a hallway. Dashing from room to room to cue different passages calls for the skills of a marathon runner, with this exercise in spatial organization also demanding stamina as well as individualism.

Luckily and despite – or maybe because of – the exclamation mark in his name Staniano posses both qualities. Overall the six-part piece – which shares the CD with a shorter, gentler conduction for voice and strings – impresses in its audacity and sonic inventiveness. However recording clarity does suffer a bit from spacing issues – separation in this case involved more than multi-channel recording and mike placement.

Purely a collective creation, any solos from the Moe!Kestra are by necessity brief and fully within Staniano’s overall musical context, with timbral coloration more noticeable than individual virtuosity. Electric guitars and basses were in the main room; brass, reeds and a turntablist in the other, with the percussionists in the hallway so that their beats could be heard by each of the other sets of players. Not surprisingly, the position of, and volume from, the nine percussionists ensured that the basic rhythm was never lost. But then again the man with the exclamation point after his first name also has worked as a solo percussionist, as part of such avant-rock bands as Sleepytime Gorilla Museum as well as with more straightforward improvisers like bassist John Edwards and percussionist Gino Robair.

At the same time this sympathy for rock music– or the strength of alternating currents – ensures that the electric guitars and basses don’t have any problem being heard either. Throughout wheezing guitar figures, feedback flanges, syncopated tremolo licks and triggered electronic pulses push many passages to crescendos. Incongruously enough the only other timbres distinctive enough to be heard over and through the massed din are the wooden pops, scrapes and pitter-patter of Suki O’Kane’s marimba.

Encompassing unexpected diminuendo, there are passages quiet enough to hear the scrapes and knocks from the percussionists, string strums – and even footfalls. But these are balanced by rowdy tutti horn counter tones, separated discordant pitches, verbalized crowd murmurs and simian-like shrieks. Spatial placement is most apparent mid-way through, when the taut, arched brass and reed sections seem to be literally propelling their parts from another space – which of course is where they are.

Spectral organization ensures that the undulating theme is heard as frequently as it would be in a sonata, but the instrumentation guarantees that most timbres are spewed out, phase-shifted and modulated in unique fashions. Eventually the summation – alternating wriggling and oscillating patterns converging from different areas – perhaps physically – with rock-like bounces from the percussion and reverberating tone bursts from the guitars, is mulched with cowbell, wooden block and gamelan-like concussions.

A lumbering postlude features chromatic hunting-horn-like flourishes from the brass, serpentine whines and split tones from the reeds plus martial beats from the percussion and low-pitched strings. Finally each section masses and explodes concurrently, leaving aviary reed tones and percussion rattles to echo in the silence.

If lower case improv exists, perhaps Staniano has pioneered exclamation point conduction.

-- Ken Waxman

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Track Listing: 1. Conducted Improvisation Piece No. 6: Depleted Uranium 2. Conducted Improvisation Piece No. 11: Two Orchestras in Separate Rooms Part 1 3. Conducted Improvisation Piece No. 11: Two Orchestras in Separate Rooms Part 2 4. Conducted Improvisation Piece No. 11: Two Orchestras in Separate Rooms Part 3 5. Conducted Improvisation Piece No. 11: Two Orchestras in Separate Rooms Part 4 6. Conducted Improvisation Piece No. 11: Two Orchestras in Separate Rooms Part 5 7. Conducted Improvisation Piece No. 11: Two Orchestras in Separate Rooms Part 6

Personnel: Moe! Staiano (conductor) plus 1: Jeff Hobbs (violin); Myles Boisen and Lucio Menegon (guitars); Vicky Grossi, Allen Whitman (bass guitars); Marika Hughes (cello); Devon Hoff (bass); Ches Smith (drums) and Carla Kihlstedt (voice) 2-7. Darren Johnston (trumpet); Jennifer Baker (trombone); Alan Anzalone and Michael Perlmutter (tenor saxophones); Rent Romus (C-melody saxophone); Aaron Bennett and Chris Broderick (clarinets); Scott Rosenberg, David Slusser (bass clarinets); Jeff Hobbs (violin); John Shiurba (violin and banjo); Robin Reynolds and Theresa Wong Hobbs (cellos); Lucio Menegon, Pat Moran, Daryl Shawn, Robin Hiroko Walsh and Bill Wolter (guitars); Vicky Grossi (bass guitar); Christopher Brown, George Cremaschi and Lisa Mezzacappa (bass); Allen Whitman (mini drum set); David Mairs (drums); Michael Guarino and Sam Ospovat (percussion); Jason Levis (percussion and bowls); Peter Valsamis (cymbal and dumbek); David Leikam (hand percussion); Suki O’Kane (marimba); Bob Marsh (accordion and tap shoes) and Matt Davignon (turntable)

May 13, 2008

Diaz-Infante/Fernandes/Montoya/Romus

Reverberations From Spring Past
Pax PR 90281

Extrapolating California’s role as avatar of the new, two musicians from San Diego and two from San Francisco produce a nine-track improvisation with very little reference to the music’s initial nurturing in jazz.

Awash with squealing rumblings, wave form resonation plus triggered side band sequences, textures from Robert Montoya’s electronics and Marcos Fernandes’ phonographies predominate. Tinctures from Fernandes’ percussion don’t really add up to a steady rhythm, while Ernesto Diaz-Infante’s acoustic steel-string guitar licks are wedded to lo-fi manipulation and folk-protest song accompaniment. Because of his instruments – soprano and alto saxophones – the Bay area’s Rent Romus seems the most jazz-like players. But his serrated reed manipulation actually resonates with strategies from the New Thing and BritImprov.

This, by the way, is a description, not a put down. Reverberations From Spring Past works remarkably well in communicating what the four musicians set out to do. After all, Yokomo, Japan-born Fernandes and Tijuana, Mexico native Montoya helped found San Diego’s Trummerflora Collective to investigate transference between electrical and acoustical forms. Here, ratcheting strokes on unidentified, metallic objects count as much as Romus’ reed-biting arpeggios and Diaz-Infante’s dense rasgueado frailing. Pre-recorded snippets of conversations, street noises and car movement – this is California after all – also stud the tracks.

Diaz-Infante’s single-string snaps or Montoya’s eddying electronic hisses oozing to the foreground more often than not characterize the performances. One of the most distinctive achieves a near perfect electro-acoustic balance. With Fernandes shaking and stroking maracas and a güiro while Diaz-Infante strums and splashes quick rhythms on top of a rippling signal processed surface, “Who Created the Cannon” includes a wavering tone seeping from Romus’ saxophone. Mix in a few squealed brake noises and crinkling hisses and you end up with an approximation of “Harlem Nocturne” played on a mechanical moon.

“An Offering of Interconnectedness (Live at Spring Reverb 04)” parts 1 and 2 presents an extended version of the strategy with bubbling electronic interface and sequenced squeaks. But except for the greater variety of triggered distortions that sound as if they’re being strained through a mix-master, electronics and some showcased saxophone spetrofluctuation, the 17½ minutes are merely an expanded version of what went before.

Most of the time the din should be accepted as musique concrete found sounds equal to the saxophone licks or drum beats. But perhaps there’s an additional subtext as well.

It’s suggested at the end of “Strife Over Ongoing Evil” when one street-side vendor clearly articulates the phrase “American Art”. Defiantly, the case is being made for this definition of the proceedings. In other words, the CD’s rustling patterns, animal growls and sequenced hisses, augmented by the altissimo multiphonics of Romus and the guitarist’s unvarying ostinato vamps are presented as being legit as any other music.

-- Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Premonition 2. My Objectivity, Your Subjectivity 3. Blues for Ezra 4. Elation Within the Collapse of Consensus 5. Who Created the Cannon 6. Strife Over Ongoing Evil 7. Rebuke and Revolt 8. An Offering of Interconnectedness (Live at Spring Reverb 04) Part 1 9. An Offering of Interconnectedness (Live at Spring Reverb 04) Part 2

Personnel: Rent Romus (soprano and alto saxophones, voice, toys); Ernesto Diaz-Infante (acoustic steel-string guitar); Marcos Fernandes (percussion and phonographies); Robert Montoya (electronics)

June 22, 2006

Free Jazz and Free Improvisation

An Encyclopedia by Todd S. Jenkins
Greenwood Press Volume One A-J; Volume Two K-Z

By Ken Waxman

January 31, 2005

Reviewing a stand-alone project like Free Jazz and Free Improvisation presents a unique set of challenges, since you must deal with what isn’t covered in the 500-odd oversized pages of these two volumes as much as what is.

From the downbeat author Todd Jenkins has to be commended for his Herculean task, collecting from various sources essential information about Free Music and putting it into approachable form for the student, the researcher as well as the improvisational newbie.

Further props in his favor include the introductory essay, “The Path to Freedom”. In around 40, well-measured, pages, he manages to touch nearly every major current in so-called outside music from the late 1940s all the way up to the present. Subtantially, in the body of the book, his list of individual entries ranges from the irrefutable pioneers -- such as John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor -- all the way up to many newcomers including Bay area saxophonist Rent Romus and Boston-based trumpeter Greg Kelley.

Jenkins is knowledgeable enough about the scene in general to include listings of such little celebrated entities as Muhal Richard Abrams’ influential Experimental Band and the pan-European Quintet Moderne, to cite two entries. Cognizant of Free Music’s universality, he also has a good percentage of entries on non-American performers -- European and Japanese in the main -- as well as separate slots for important nightclubs and record labels. As stand-alone entries, his extensive dissections of the careers and recorded work of important stylists such as Taylor, Anthony Braxton and Evan Parker are exemplary.

That said, Free Jazz and Free Improvisation also encompasses several egregious flaws that compromise the volumes’ status as a reference source. Emphasis is put on certain trends, musicians and record labels to the expense of others that in the future could prove to be as momentous. Furthermore, for a hard-cover publication destined for library shelves and as a long-term reference, an appalling number of omissions, typos, proof reading, editing and even factual mistakes appear.

In many instances also, Jenkins writing is gauche and graceless, relying on such cliched expressions as “avoid like the plague”, “like it or lump it”, “welcome with open arms” and “packed to the rafters”. This may be OK for a rush job destined for next day newspaper publication, but a book, especially an encyclopedia, is a monumental undertaking that should avoid cringe-worthy prose since it will be consulted for years to come.

Briefly, Jenkins is on the most solid ground with his shorter entries, since they pithily state the basic facts and locate the data in the improv continuum. In some of these however, and many of the longer entries, a form of omnipotence weakens the strength of he information. Endless detailing of individual LP and CD tracks and sessions is something best left to record reviewing. Plus, following the lead of Leonard Feather’s pioneering, yet not wholly successful, efforts in his Encyclopedia of Jazz, opinions of others conversant with the works discussed should have been added to Jenkins’ own. To use an obvious cliché, disagreements and preferences are what make horse races.

Although the selection of entries is catholic, too often additional information is missing. Jenkins includes the full birth date, place and year of birth for many musicians, for instance, while other listings lack one, the other or all three. Communications via the Internet has made such lapses dubious. A Web page search or e-mail to the person involved could have yielded the missing date. In 1956 and thereafter, Feather sent out a questionnaire to those musicians he wanted to include in his encyclopedia; 21st Century transmission makes this task that much simpler.

Certainly every reader will have a list of who or what should or shouldn’t have been in the volumes, but a couple of omissions seem more than inexplicable.

The most glaring oversight is lack of a separate listing or even an index references for CODA, the Canadian jazz magazine with a worldwide circulation. Cadence -- founded in 1975 -- and its affiliated record labels rate an entry, while that publication and Signal to Noise, which began in the very late 1990s, are cited as “periodicals specifically oriented towards new music” in the end notes.

CODA has had its ups and down over the years, but as a journal “published continuously since May 1958” as its masthead states, it has been a constant champion for Free Music almost from its beginning. During the late 1970s in fact, the magazine’s affiliated Sackville and Onari label released some now-classic Free Jazz/Free Improv sessions, a role which Cadence’s labels admirably fills today.

Another puzzling omission is that of New York trombonist Steve Swell, especially since many of the players with whom he associates rate their own listing. A few others musicians who could be included are, from Europe: pianist Michiel Braam and reedist Ab Baars of the Netherlands, Spanish pianist Augustí Fernández and British drummer Paul Hession. Then from the United States: Mississippi drummer Alvin Fielder, Texas trumpeter Dennis González, New Yorkers, saxist Michael Marcus and pianist Uri Caine, plus drummer Gino Robair and saxist Francis Wong from the Bay area. And that’s only thinking of 10 at random.

Where would the publishers have found room for these entries? Removal of quasi-improvisers who come from the rock music world such as Thurston Moore, Jim O’Rourke and Fennez [!] could provide some space. Plus a 17-page, year-by-year Chronology of Events from 1949 through 2003 at the beginning of the volume that lists births, deaths and record releases already included in the text, could have been excised.

Adding or removing entries may be merely an exercise in different priorities between this reviewer and the author. But mistakes and misstatements aren’t open to discussion.

To list a few, again at random:

 Barre Phillips is described as a British bassist in the entry on Peter Brötzman, but correctly as an American in his own

 Big Nick Nicholas was a tenor saxophonist, not a blues singer

 Violinist Billy Bang didn’t “found” the String Trio of New York, it was a cooperative effort between him, guitarist James Emery and bassist John Lindberg

 No effort is made to explain that the “Rev” in tenor saxophonist’s Frank Wright’s name was a nickname for his soulful playing, not a legitimate ecclesiastical title

 Sun Ra didn’t play in the big band of Erskine Caldwell, the author of Tobacco Road, but in the band of Erskine Hawkins, the popular trumpeter

 Ajay Heble isn’t the former Guelph Jazz Festival director, he still holds that post

 John Coltrane recorded Olé for Atlantic not Impulse and Ascension for Impulse not Atlantic; the reverse is stated in the introduction

 Poet/activist Amiri Baraka’s name change reflected his Pan-African revolutionary Marxism not a conversion to Islam as is misstated twice

 Novelist Jean Toomer, who is mentioned in the entry on altoist Marion Brown, is a “he” not a “she”

While this list may seem excessively nitpicky, precisely because Free Jazz and Free Improvisation is an encyclopedia, these missteps are particularly egregious. Even in the 21st Century anything printed between hard covers is given extraordinary respect, so these errors will be perpetuated for some time.

While Free Jazz and Free Improv followers can pick up these volumes, they should be very conscious of these faults before doing so. Perhaps one way around the conundrum, would be for the author to annually publish a yearbook that would bring things up to date. Another welcome gesture would be if buyers could be provided with an set of corrections should they purchase the volumes. The information could even be e-mailed after the publisher is contacted.

Despite Jenkins’ hard work, it appears that Free Jazz and Free Improvisation is still only another small step on the road to completeness for individuals and institutions that seek a permanent collection of facts about these genres.

January 31, 2005

THE FOCUS QUINTET

1-8 IN 1
Sachimay sca 9357

THE ABSTRACTIONS Sonic Conspiracy
Edgetone EDT 4012

Each of these CDs features Bay area guitarist Ernesto Diaz-Infante and an improvising female vocalist. Other than that you probably couldn’t find two more different sessions that get lumped into the experimental/improvised music category.

Putting aside the ancient West Coast-East Coast dichotomy -- The Abstractions hail from and recorded in San Francisco, the Focus Quintet is a New York band -- the difference between the bands is more philosophical than musical. Directed by Dan DeChellis on piano and keyboards and featuring guitarist Chris Forsyth percussionist, Jeff Arnal and vocalist Anita DeChellis as well as Diaz-Infante, the East Coast ensemble, like much of the pianist’s other work aims for that undefined area between “free jazz and art song”, as he terms it. The Left Coasters, on the other hand, who include along with Diaz-Infante, saxophonist Rent Romus, Bob Marsh on vibes and violin, Scott Looney on percussion and vocalist Jesse Quattro plus a good collection of toys and odd instruments, aim to meld improvised jazz, thrash rock, electronics and surrealistic vocal textures. Each CD must be taken on its own terms.

Based on interaction between vocal tones produced by soprano DeChellis and the expansive soundfield of the four instrumentalists, 1-8 IN 1 was composed/improvised collectively and captures some fascinating sounds that can only be described as “pure music”. But while it may seem churlish to say so, a little of this goes a long way. Lacking dynamics, varied pacing and an expanded sound palate, deep listening to the eight selections for a shade fewer than 56 minutes often turns one into a clinician. You note the technique rather than the end product.

“Body” typified many of the instant compositions. Here DeChellis expresses herself wordlessly in what only could be described as a little girl’s voice, joined by intermittent percussion and cymbal taps, plus a sound that could be coins rolling on a drum head. Underscoring this is guitar string rumbling and consecrated organ-like sounds that gradually fade into silence.

Or take “Acknowledgements”, where squeaky vocal chords compete for aural space with internal piano rumbles then single keyboard notes in the highest register. As the singer’s breaths are expelled more as tones or sounds, something is heard that could have been produced by ripping paper, not to mention an extended electric guitar reverb resounding as if it was a malfunctioning amplifier. Words too seem to exist unconnected to phrases or sentences. As Arnal comments on the proceedings with unselected cymbals motions and scratches, Dan DeChellis produces low-pitched octave jumps and Diaz-Infante and Forsyth crackle, pop and clunk their guitar strings, Anita DeChellis exhale a word that sounds like “hide” and later spits out what could be “precious”

What ends up by the most pleasing performance is also the one that’s most sensuous, whether by accident or design. It begins with metallic scrapes and electronic outer space reverberations and squeaks probably produced with wetted fingers on drum skins. Soon Diaz-Infante (probably) whispers some “ahs” as Anita DeChellis warbles wordless falsetto lines on top of this. As the voices circle around one another, more lovers’ whispers are hard, then the female voice articulates “kiss”. There’s the unmistakable noise of a smooch, satisfied breathing, then “kick” is articulated. Whether this is a sign of appreciation or a decision to get kinky is left unconsummated, at least verbally, as one guitar’s amp buzzes and the other fingerpicks behind his bridge.

In duo with Arnal and in trio settings Dan DeChellis has produced some outstanding modern music. There is nothing musically “wrong” about this session either. It just seems that with the range of talent on board, there could have been more of a range of musical emotions than hushed reverence.

If Anita DeChellis whispers on her disc then Quattro, who is also a member of the thrash metal group Thrash of Killers, screams. Not that a good howl, vocally or instrumentally can’t be impressive as well. It’s just that The Abstractions seems to have set up shop at the opposite sound of the sound field to the Focus Quintet. Most tunes here are harsh, loud -- and if you note some of the titles -- probably snotty as well. Not only that, but with 18 separate tracks ranging from 36 seconds to more than seven minutes, many never get a chance to develop into anything more than the initial energy field.

Something like “4-wheeling waste - roam about as a vagabond” (whew!) seems to be set up as a race between Quattro’s vocal and the honking, reed-biting alto saxophone phrases of Romus, whose influences are described as “science fiction, horror literature, improvisation, Finno-Ugric music traditions and the inspiration of Albert Ayler”. The finish line reached, the piece just ends after little more than 1½ minutes. The less-than--two minutes title track suffers from this condensation as well, where saxophone lines meet metallic shimmers from what is probably Diaz-Infante’s prepared guitar.

The reason for that descriptive uncertainly is that the guitarist is also listed as playing piano, radio and “broken CD player”, Romus improvises on what are called “toys” and “sounds” as well. Meanwhile there’s percussionist Scott Looney, who not only mixed this session, but also on other discs with Romus and bassist Damon Smith, has shown himself proficient on melodica, prepared piano and live electronics. For example “Playground of Lost Souls - shields and arrows” features what could be electronic-produced waves lapping against the shore, with chainsaw-like buzzing metallic drones interruptions there to reflect the horror movie sounding title.

Meanwhile, veteran vibist/violinist Bob Marsh, leader of the Emergency String Quartet, whose other associates have included cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and clarinetist Gene Coleman, contributes on both his chosen instruments. “The Oval Office” -- considering the range of noises, perhaps a political comment -- features ghostly violin licks at first and concludes with string scratches. In-between are bangs on drums and bells and what could be the clanking of chains; squealing sax lines and tongue slaps; pseudo bongo drum percussion and yowling cat vocals. Or consider “Telephone - long distance”, where laid-back soprano saxophone trills meet low-key vibe shimmers until a growling electronics shriek -- probably from Diaz-Infante’s guitar -- interrupts with a discordant countermelody. Vibraphone and saxophone tones turn sharp to counter the cacophony caused by that and the rolling junk percussion rumbles.

Words figure in another couple of tunes, but seems to add more befuddlement than illumination. Stinging percussion and guitar lines frame what appear to be sampled voices repeating simple phrases like ” “bless you child”, “you can’t just walk around like that” and “just plain hungry” on the less than elegantly titled “don’t touch my shit”. Yet unless we’re supposed to interpret the combination of the voices, cocktail lounge style vibes and speech-like sax obbligatos as an auditory picture of the homeless, its purpose is moot. So too is “If Ornette askew Contankerous (sic) Insignificant Anti cacti”. Here, while the alto saxophone advances what could be a Tin Pan Alley standard, seconded by off-kilter piano and guitar chords, Quattro seems to spend almost the entire five minutes of the track mumbling to herself in a fashion popular among speed freaks and recent psycho ward residents. Finally a percussion and sax confrontation drowns her out.

Quattro, who maintains a membership in Mills College Contemporary Performance Ensemble, puts her grows, cries, yodels and screeches to better use on “Dinner with Blue Dragon @ Extending Claw Café”, the longest track. At times suggesting a rooster’s crowing and at others the victim in a slasher flick, her caterwauling lines up against trills from the saxophone, the occasional drum paradiddle, an electronic drone and steadily enveloping piano chords.

Dizzy Gillespie once said that with maturity a musician learns what to leave out, so perhaps these improvisers shouldn’t be faulted for youthful excesses. But it seems that dividing this hour plus CD into more balanced, longer, fewer tracks may have redefined it from a dog’s breakfast to at least a palatable fast food meal. The Abstractions appear to have attempted too much, too soon with its disc, while the Focus Quintet, lacking brighter shades in its musical colors tried too little. Both CDs are interesting in their ways, but mixing the approaches from both sides would have created one more impressive product.

Hey Diaz-Infante, is there any way you can induce your East Coast and West Coast friends to collaborate?

-- Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1-8: 1. Dedicated 2. Foreward 3. Acknowledgements 4. Contents 5. List of Plates 6. Introduction 7. Body 8. Index

Personnel: 1-8: Dan DeChellis (piano); Ernesto Diaz-Infante (amplified acoustic guitar); Chris Forsyth (electric guitar); Jeff Arnal (percussion); Anita DeChellis (vocals)

Track Listing: Sonic: 1. Outfuck 2. Urban Gothic Hoedown 3. H-bomb transvestite infiltration bop 4. Dinner with Blue Dragon @ Extending Claw Café 5. On the hell bridge, meat market, torture process 6. don’t touch my shit 7. 4-wheeling waste - roam about as a vagabond. 8. Telephone - long distance 9. Sonic Conspiracy 10. If Ornette askew Contankerous Insignificant Anti cacti 11. hidden conversation – who’s sensitive here? 12. Playground of Lost Souls - shields and arrows 13. The file room 14.Your table is ready 15. The wisperer – american pictorals 16. Bloodsucker Money Bugs – glyph 17. Sodium Pentathalon – 400 loads 18. The Oval Office

Personnel: Sonic: Rent Romus (soprano and alto saxophone, toys, sounds); Ernesto Diaz-Infante (guitar, piano, voice, radio, broken CD player); Bob Marsh (vibes, violin, voice); Scott Looney percussion, toys); Jesse Quattro (vocals)

December 9, 2002

JIM RYAN’S FORWARD ENERGY

Configurations 2002
Edgetone EDT 4009

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, are all highlighted on the more than two hours of this double-CD set by Bay area saxophonist Jim Ryan. But the nuptials being celebrated here are the successful marriage of some veteran players’ post bebop improvisations with those from a new generation of North Californian players.

That takes care of the old and new part. The blue(s) feature on a few of these tracks, while the only thing that’s really “borrowed” is jazz music itself, which some would mistakenly deny to someone like Ryan, who doesn’t conventionally swing.

A poet, writer and philosopher, Ryan, who plays alto and tenor saxophones and flute on this date, came to the music in Paris during the mid-1960s,after rubbing shoulders with Beat writers such as William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg. Then he performed with American expats like Steve Lacy and members of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. Back in the states, and in the Bay area by the mid-1990s, he turned his organizational talents to procuring new spaces in which to play for himself and the clutch of young improvisers who had sprung up nearby. With their constantly shifting cast of characters, these tracks showcase Ryan and his associates in a series of free improvisations.

The veterans include Spirit, a drummer with hairspring reflexes, who is the saxophonist’s most frequent playing partners here, and part of the Positive Knowledge trio; trumpeter Eddie Gale, who played with Cecil Taylor and Sun Ra; and drummer Donald Robinson a long-time associate of saxophonists like Larry Ochs and the late Glenn Spearman. Younger improvisers include prodigious bassist Damon Smith, who has recorded with British saxophonist Tony Bevan and German bassist Peter Kowald among others; Full Throttle Orchestra leader bassist Adam Lane; drummer Peter Valsamis, who is in the Trance Mission band; and keyboardist/electronics expert Scott Looney, who has recorded on his own and in formations with scene organizer/saxophonist Rent Romus, who also makes an cameo appearance here. Lesser-known West Coast sax improvisers Alicia Mangan and John “Waveman” Gruntfest also make the cut.

The tunes range from a low-key, three minute Spirit-Ryan duet, and another even shorter one that adds Mangan and Smith, to one nearly 19½ minute blow-out with those two saxophonists, the rhythm section plus Romus and Looney and an even more extensive, almost 31-minute color field examination featuring Ryan, Mangan, Looney, Lane and Robinson.

Besides Ryan, it’s Spirit, featured on 11 of the 13 tracks, who makes the most of his face time. A minimalist and a timekeeper, rather than a technician, at certain points he makes his presence felt more than heard. Although he apparently uses a standard kit, the sounds heard could as easily come from a bell tree, tam tam, conga drums, or a wood block. Additionally, except for a distinctive cymbal ping, you often wonder if he’s using his palms rather than sticks or brushes and frequently can’t link a sound to a particular instrument. This is particularly noticeable on “Interchange with the Unknown” in a trio setting with Mangan and Ryan on alto. Merely suggesting the beat, he clears out enough space for the altoist’s Aylerian cries and mellow fanfares from the tenorwoman. Combing at points like Rahsaan Roland Kirk playing two horn simultaneously, the carnal tones of the two saxes at times recall Sonny Rollins’ vivisection of “There’s No Business Like Show Business”.

Just as prominent is Looney, who with his grab bag of keyboards and electronics frequently earns MVP status. On the almost 18 minute “Roto Vision”, for instance, constant electronic percussion and subtle drum rolls from Spirit provide the underpinning for Ryan and Mangan playing ring-around-the-rosie on reeds. More notably, “Hollow Moon” finds Looney as triple threat, supplying at different times, synthesizer washes, internal keyboard exploration and straightahead piano comping as the altoist and tenorist display double tonguing freak notes, split tones and a dog’s breakfast of multiphonics.

Showcasing, right-handed, nervous runs on piano and matched by Spirit’s loose-limbed drumming, Looney and the percussionist come across as a 21st century Cecil Taylor/Sunny Murray duo on “Contemplation”. The harmonica-like wheeze that opens the track could come from his keys as well, or it could be a floating tone that escapes from the massed saxes of Mangan, Ryan and Romus. Honks, trills, smears, broken clusters and triple tonguing fill the air, with someone -- Ryan? Romus? -- tone-piercing the sky and the other two swabbing the floor with deep tenor notes. Smith has a longed-lined arco section here too, which, unfortunately, is one of the few times he’s clearly heard on the disc.

Mammoth, the almost-31 minute “History Lesson”, which moves from ballad tempo to finger-snapper, gains a lot from Looney’s talents as well. At times he punctuates the proceedings with serpentine electric piano-like runs, straight from Chick Corea’s early fusion musings, while elsewhere he adds to R&B undertone of the main piece, with some bluesy piano tinkles. Probably titled that way because the composition mixes hard bop, New Thing and Fusion impulses, Robinson’s rock solid beat keeps the time steady enough for Ryan on alto to show that fealty to David “Fathead” Newman and Hank Crawford soulfulness enlivens his avant-garde leanings, while Mangan’s overblowing honks of pure colored noise fool you into thinking that more saxes than the two featured on the track were present. The only disappointment is that Lane’s low-key, rather mainstream solo is under-recorded. On his only appearance on “Balls to the Wall” (sic) brassman Gale proves that the California climate hasn’t dulled his fire.

For someone who isn’t well known outside his home base, Ryan has proven that neither age nor isolation can slow down a good improviser. His cohorts prove the same whether they’re grizzled journeymen or still-evolving tyros. Except for a bit of live-recording muddle, there’s a whole lot to praise here and the disc(s) should proclaim the saxophonist’s name to a larger public.

-- Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Disc 1. 1. Jump Start*@^$ 2. Shape Shifting*@ 3. Etheric Cleanse*@$ 4. Light Breeze@ 5. Hollow Moon*@^$ 6. Little Dipper@ 7. Contemplation*~@^$ 8. Flute Spirit@ 9. Interchange with the Unknown*@ 2. 1. Balls to the Wall+& 2. History Lesson*^&# 3. Roto Vision*^$@ 4. Turtle Boat*^$@

Personnel: Eddie Gale (trumpet)+; John “Waveman” Gruntfest (alto saxophone)+; Rent Romus (soprano and alto saxophones)~; Jim Ryan (alto and tenor saxophones, flute, percussion); Alicia Mangan (tenor saxophone)*; Scott R. Looney (piano, prepared piano, melodica)^; Adam Lane (bass)&; Damon Smith (bass)$; Spirit (drums and percussion)@;Peter Valsamis (drums)+; Donald Robinson (drums)#

October 14, 2002

RENT ROMUS’ LORDS OF OUTLAND

Avatar In The Field: A Tribute to Albert Ayler
Edgetone Records EDT 4001

With music that rappels from the New Thing to skewed mainstream jazz to horror and sci-fi pastiches to skronk and back again, Bay area saxophonist Rent Romus is certainly carving a distinctive musical niche for himself. He’s also a one-man cottage industry, organizing tours in North America and overseas for his many band projects, booking a couple of California music series, participating in multi-media happenings, producing CDs, helping in the marketing of another jazz label, and running his own Edgetone Records.

Frenzied activity appears to agree with the young reedman though. For on the evidence of the music on these sessions, he’s thriving rather than spreading himself too thin, even with his patented B.I.A.C.S. (bull in a china shop) approach to improvisation.

Each disc here exposes some part of Romus’ game plan. AVATAR is his quartet’s take on the music of Albert Ayler; PKD VORTEX, with an almost completely different quintet is a musical tribute to science fiction writer Phil K. Dick; and BLOOD is a trio effort recorded with young Danish musicians.

Consider the first disc, made up of five Ayler so-called standards plus band originals -- mostly by Romus -- in the same style. The result of eight years of Ayler immersion, Romus et. al have tried to bring their own perspective to the music, and don’t even play “Ghosts”, the late hornman’s greatest hit (sic).

Using a full fruity tone with a vibrato that’s almost broader than Ayler’s, Romus blends his saxophones, sometimes played simultaneously, with Toyoji Tomita’s trombone. Moving from reverberating tailgate tones on Romus’ “Aces for Albert” tribute and other tunes to little bleeps of sound that seem to come right from the high inside the instrument’s bell on “Vibrations” and elsewhere, the slide man serves as a perfect foil for the saxophonist.

Although bassist Bill Noertker doesn’t appear to step forward for more than a bar or two anywhere on this set, his Latinesque “V/F Bright and Noble” is a light swinging line hoisted upwards by Tomita’s low continuo and Romus’ honking, smearing take-no-prisoners approach. It certainly gains the approval of an audience made up of alt-music fans. Strongly in the background throughout, Dave Mihaly makes the greatest impression with his death march-like drumbeats on “Snow Ghost”.

Still, Romus is chief Lord here. He brings out his piccolo when he’s not manipulating one sax or another through key pops or slap tonguing, or spends time spinning out a child-like theme on the soprano. Elsewhere, he’ll verbally explain bit about his passion for Ayler to the audience, and scream, rage and shout to keep the momentum building. Finally his eviscerating alto tones and Mihaly’s bell blasts help turn Ayler’s “Our Prayer” into a sing along

Romus and Mihaly were joined by electric cellist Doug Carroll, guitarist Joel Harrison, and most spectacularly, Tom Nunn’s electro-acoustic “inventions” for PKD recorded nearly two years earlier.

Appropriate cadences for a project honoring the pioneering sci-fi author, Nunn’s spectral sounds provide the underpinning for much of what happens here. It’s especially noticeable on “March of the 80 foot Phils”, where it pulsates in the background while the foreground is occupied by a screeching, tenor-range saxophone solo from Romus. Earlier, a quasi-military percussion tattoo had been succeeded by mocking saxophone bellows harmonizing with elastic percussion that sounds as if they’re produced by striking upturned plastic milk cartons.

If anything that milk-carton sound is the disc’s leitmotif, though, whether it’s the result of Nunn’s noisemakers or Mihaly’s percussion isn’t made clear. The sound is certainly versatile enough, making its appearance at one point twisting around a funky rock beat on “Nobody likes the anti-septic lady”, which is also notable for Carroll’s barbed wire electric cello lines and some fulminating drum beats. Another time on “Return of the Wild Marian Fur” the unique tone adds to the acoustical guitar-cello blend that’s complementing Romus’ gangly alto solo.

Not that this CD lacks fervor. “Third Eye” features literal human screams, echoing Twilight Zone-style guitar riffs -- which often sound like an uneasy marriage between lo-fi grunge and arena rock -- plus outer space organ tones which may have migrated over from Sun Ra’s Arkestra. Amplified cello notes joust with Romus’ tart, tough vibrated split tones, both boogying on top of highly amplified percussion. Elsewhere, tympani echoes and thunderstorm crashes are never in short supply.

A variant of circus-like burlesque and parody appears in some of the tunes here and on the Ayler project, but the creations are a lot more serious on BLOOD. A trio set it’s more-or-less a showcase for Romus, who comes across as a sort of POMO Sonny Stitt. Alto saxophonist Stitt (1924 -1982) was the classic loner, moving from city to city and record date to record date, picking up a rhythm section wherever he landed and played variations on standards, rhythm tunes and the blues. He still managed to create some fine jazz free of artifice, though.

Obviously more focused than the older saxophonist, Romus here offers a combination of standards -- in his case Charles Mingus’ “Better Get Hit In Your Soul” and Eric Dolphy’s “Out To Lunch” -- and some funky originals. As for the backing musicians, the CD, which is sort of a souvenir of Romus’ first overseas tour to Denmark, links him with locals, bassist Jonas Westergaad and drummer Stefan Pasborg.

Actually the saxophonist is most impressive on “Better Git”. Using his best Hank- Crawford-out-of-John-Handy tone, he manages to play both the solo and the backing figures from the original performance. “Lunch” is treated unusually as well. Starting with a fusty, Dixieland sound he doubles its concentration by playing alto and soprano at the same time, at one point even getting involved in duetting with himself.

Surrounding all this are compositions that are pretty straightforward with their parameters boudoir saxophone blues practiced by the likes of Sam “The Man” Taylor and Jackie McLean-style neo-bop. You can’t charge the session with false advertising either. If something’s called “Break Tune”, then it’s literally that, the kind of blues-based set closer you’d hear in most jazz clubs, complete with staggered saxophone bomps, smash and grab drumming and steady Paul Chambers style bass.

However you don’t get much feeling for the rhythm section on the eight tunes, but it was probably planned that way. Since Romus was the American, the oldest (!) and most experienced musician, the bassist and drummer pretty much stay out of his way. What can be faulted, however, is the minimal packaging. Unlike the other sessions, there’s no listing of composer credits, recording date, place of recording or even which instruments are used.

Despite that, any one of these discs can serve as a proper introduction to Romus music in different configurations. Despite the varying contexts, he doesn’t play that differently on any outing. Between his entrepreneurial urges and his maturing solo abilities, you’re sure to hearing much more from him in the future.

-- Ken Waxman

Track Listing: Avatar: 1. Avatar in the Field 2. Holy Spirit 3. Intro to Zion Hill 4. Zion Hill 5. Aces for Albert 6. Vibrations 7. V/F Bright and Noble 8. Dancing Flowers 9. Snow Ghost 10. Our Prayer

Personnel: Avatar: Toyoji Tomita (trombone); Rent Romus (soprano and alto saxophones, piccolo, voice); Bill Noertker (bass, recorder); Dave Mihaly (drums, percussion, odd things)

Track Listing: PDK: 1. Vortex PKD 2. Ape of God 3. Third Eye 4. Nobody likes the anti-septic lady 5. March of the 80 foot Phils 6. Return of the Wild Marian Fur 7. Quest for Reality Part 1 8. Quest for Reality Part 2

Personnel: PDK: Rent Romus (soprano and alto saxophones, piccolo, voice); Joel Harrison (guitar); Doug Carroll (electric cello); Dave Mihaly (drums, percussion); Tom Nunn (electro acoustic inventions)

Track Listing: Lifeblood: 1. U R the 1 2. Better Get Hit In Your Soul 3. Blood Motions 4. Out To Lunch 5. Danish Nights 6. Break Tune 7. Up Side Down 8. Coffee

Personnel: Lifeblood: Rent Romus (soprano and alto saxophones); Jonas Westergaad (bass); Stefan Pasborg (drums)

February 15, 2002