Lao Dan/Vasco Trilla

Somehow within the totalitarian police state that masquerades as the People’s Republic of China, there seems to be some places where a form of freedom can be experienced. One is Old Heaven Books in Shenzhen City, a southeastern metropolis that links Hong Kong to China’s mainland. At least that’s the impression given when listening to the excellent set of creative music by a Eurasian duo.

Chinese saxophonist/flutist Lao Dan has made a reputation for himself playing solo and with international musicians such as Paul Flaherty and Damon Smith. Meanwhile Catalan drummer Vasco Trilla has also done solo sets as well as recording with the likes of Szilárd Mezei and Colin Webster. This ad-hoc session took place after the two played in different groups at a local Chinese music festival.

Playing tenor saxophone, Dan’s tone and attack is closer to that of Albert Ayler or Peter Brötzmann in than anyone imagined on that part of the Asian mainland. Early on the first track, “You are You” he swiftly moves from slurry respirations to squeaking flutter tonguing, altissimo runs and air-splitting yelps. He carries though this overblowing, renal reflux and inner horn scrapes all the way to “Nobodies are Going to Sleep”, the final track.

At the same time though, especially on the second piece, he manages to overlaps the burbling split tones with pennywhistle-like flute peeps that also move upwards from andante to allegro at the same time as he adds guttural cries to the mix. Throughout, the double tongued and strident reed emission are paired with or replaced with transverse interpretation, which can be as ethereal as expected or by turning to DIY or dizi instruments come up with as dissonant tones as from the saxophone. A particular point arises on “New Species 2” when Dan manages to create a nearly four-minute passage of circular breathed shrilling from the flue, easily equal to any reed extension.

Equally inventive Trilla leans into his percussion instruments to meet Dan’s sound explorations, while not neglecting clanks and clunks for horizontal drum accompaniment. Using pinpointed mallet chings on attached and unattached cymbals as well as bell-trees chiming and undulating scrapes against unyielding alloys, he produces metallic echoes that complement Dan, whether the latter is producing bagpipe-like drones, emotional vibrations at the top of the saxophone’s range, nephritic reed pressure or sweeping flute peeps.

We can assume that the Chinese authorities were too occupied prosecuting pro-democracy voices, threatening Tiawan’s sovereignty or rewriting history to follow the party line to bother with instrumental free expression expressed in a small city within a tiny bookstore. But we’re fortunate enough to experience the high-quality results.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. You are You 2. New Species 1 3. New Species 2 4. Tea Horse 5. Old Heaven Books 6. Fire Boy 7. Nobodies are Going to Sleep

Personnel: Lao Dan (tenor saxophone, DIY flute and dizi) and Vasco Trilla (drums and percussion)