Georg Graewe & Jon Butcher: Light's View

Glenn Astarita

Senior Contributor since 1997

Longtime contributor to AAJ and Downbeat, Jazz Review, EjazzNews, Radio DirectX.

Recent articles (1,629 total)

Published: June 1, 1999

Light’s View is free-jazz pianist Georg Graewe and saxophone virtuoso John Butcher collaborating on a series of improvised pieces. The results prove to be fascinating and altogether enduring. On “Second Curiosity” we find Butcher supplying tremolo and quaint melodic undercurrents, which nicely contrasts Graewe’s, inquisitive style phrasing through brief chord progressions and quick, darting right hand leads. “Chromatic Aberrations” features a series of spurious call and response activities enacted mainly within the lower to mid-registers. On “Egratignures” Butcher utilizing his tenor sax, employs a steely edged sound, which emits an emotionally charged feel while Graewe compliments with rapid dialogue. On “Plague-Prism”, Butcher’s tenor sounds mechanical or perhaps even electronic? Here, Butcher’s acoustic sound could easily be misinterpreted as being electronically treated. Butcher and Graewe combine so many elements and know few boundaries. These gentlemen are true explorers of sound and thematic development!

On “Two-Ribbon Flare” Butcher once again practices the art of deception as he emulates plucking a stringed instrument through his soprano sax. Here, the mood is multifarious as Graewe performs in workmanlike fashion while devising circular-like motifs. Graewe and Butcher seldom provide the listener with beginning and end points as the graceful and overtly intuitive dialogue prevails throughout this recording.

Light’s View is all about two master improvisers doing what they do best. The music portrayed here could be considered slightly mischievous, or at times wittingly playful as Nuscope Records has quickly emerged as a major exponent and catalyst of modern improvised music * * * * 1/2

Cadence and Wayside Music provide distribution in North America.

Record Label: Nuscope Recordings
Style: Modern Jazz