Daniel Carter/Sabir Mateen/William Parker/Lou Grassi

An uncut and newly mined gem from 30 years ago, Keeping it in Context unearths three relentless and hard-hitting improvisations by four veteran creative musicians, Recorded in the Context arts space – hence the title – these intricate extemporizations feature multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter, reedist Sabir Mateen, bassist William Parker and percussionist Lou Grassi. Veterans who have played in one others’ groups, each has a long musical history alongside creators including  Cooper-Moore, Buton Greene, Matthew Shipp and Ivo Pereleman.

Detailed arco and pizzicato double bass lines underline the tracks, with Parker adding both angled extended timbres as well as a solid pulses to the improvisations. Restrained most of the time, Grassi’s woody drum pops and metallic splashes embellish Parker’s concentrated linear thrust. However there’s an interlude on the lengthy “The Surface of No Strain” where he shapes the ongoing presentation with delicate pings on what sounds like tuned water glasses.

Often advancing in tandem throughout, since both horn players use alto and tenor saxophones and flute, it’s only when Carter turns to portamento trumpet lines and Mateen to seconding clarinet patterns that exact identification can be made. Not that that’s problem. Each adeptly contributes reed expertise at appropriate junctures. Emotional heft takes its place alongside drawn out doits, honks and slurs. Nonetheless its their classic reed intertwining that characterize some of the most notable passages each outputting a separate improvisation, but timed so closely than connection rather than dissonance is emphasized.

Meanwhile flute interludes from either are detailed and linear. Carter eases any augmented vehemence expressed by saxophone attacks as his brass turns glide between triplet emphasis and hushed grace notes. Mateen’s clarion clarinet flutters follow a similar trajectory.

Longer than the other tracks combined at almost 35½ minutes, “The Surface of No Strain” exposes the group paradigm most colorfully. Breathy tenor saxophone affiliations and taut alto saxophone tongue slaps are formulated at length. Advancing pitches from treble to bass at the same time as interlocking, the two propel the exposition onwards, sympathetically backed by drum rumbles. A penultimate sequence matching flute and clarinet trills affixes lyrical content to the narrative. Soon though the climax quickens the group pace to presto with bent notes and vibrato flutters before concluding with cooperative sounds from the bassist and drummer.

Keeping it in Context is a significant sonic snapshot of prominent improvisation from 1996. Luckily the most advanced digital capture would reveal the same results today, since all are still active.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. The Angle of Repose 2. The Surface of No Strain  3. The Correct Diagonal

Personnel: Daniel Carter (alto and tenor saxophones, flute and trumpet); Sabir Mateen (alto and tenor saxophones, flute and clarinet); William Parker (bass) and  Lou Grassi (drums and percussion)