Daniel Carter / William Parker / Federico Ughi: The Dream

Carter and Parker are mainstays of improvised music, and Carter is one of the most important instrumentalists on the avant-garde scene. It hardly seems possible for one person to excel on so many instruments, yet Carter does so with ease—an ease that comes only from decades of hard work. The Dream includes the rare treat of Carter playing piano, and he shines particularly on "This is the Dream"; his playing is forceful and crystalline, his runs intricate and rollicking, with Parker and Ughi matching him every step of the way.

Other notable songs include "Little Did I Know," where Carter starts with a gentle flute, then gradually turns up the heat and at the very end switches to sax, his tone clear as a bell. "The Truth in the Core," which features Parker on tuba and Carter's wild, wailing sax, is also memorable. On the lovely "Spiritual Awakening," Carter plays trumpet, invoking Miles at first and then developing his own urgent message, complimented by Ughi's rhythmic stickwork.

The Dream has a wonderful cohesiveness, and it's the kind of CD that gets into your bones the more you listen. The fourteen pieces vary in length, several barely grazing two minutes, but they roll effortlessly one after another, shifting instruments and colors with absolutely no loss of fluidity. The result is a pleasing quilt of sounds, textures and moods that's well worth exploring.

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