Various Artists: No W... Now!

Not everything here is jazz. Most of the music is what is loosely classified as the "downtown" school. There's some static, drone-based improvisation, such as the Unstable Ensemble's "Gob Wee Shrub." Elliott Sharp's "These Days" is a fascinating construct of extended guitar techniques and laptop-generated sound. On the other hand, there's "Hey George," an obscenity-laced bit of punk rock.

The jazz performances here are free or fusion, and they're mostly very good. The rubato deconstruction of "Study War No More" by R. Ruzow's Subterraneans brims with agony, beauty, and excellent ensemble playing. "The March Of The Fourth Reich" by the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is aggressive, ominous fusion. Jack Wright's "There's No Music Like No Music" is an unaccompanied soprano sax solo, full of unpredictable lines and sounds that slowly but surely draw the committed listener in to a heartfelt core.

The rest of the music varies widely in genre and quality, and includes some protest songs composed for this recording, some electronica, and a bit more free jazz. Because No W... Now! is tied in with a liberal advocacy group, and because the views of Not In Our Name do not necessarily represent those of All About Jazz (or this reviewer's, entirely), it's hard to recommend this one without serious reservations. There isn't a lot of jazz on it, and some tracks are crude or uneventful, but if you're a devotee of downtown music in all its diversity and you sympathize with the goals of Not In Our Name, then by all means check it out.

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