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Living By Lanterns: New Myth/Old Science
ByThe remaining lineup of Loose Assembly (alto saxophonist Greg Ward, cellist Tomeka Reid and bassist Joshua Abrams) was joined by the New York-based working trio of cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, guitarist Mary Halvorson and drummer Tomas Fujiwara, as well as another New Yorker, German-born tenor saxophone wunderkind Ingrid Laubrock. This impressive summit meeting between Chicago and New York's finest young improvisers transcends mere repertory however; Reed and Adasiewicz's decision to avoid slavish homage provided them the rare opportunity to create brand new music from another artist's unfinished material.
Other than a few brief introductory verses of his extraterrestrial poetry, the proceedings never directly reference Sun Ra's mystical oeuvre. Although Adasiewicz's reverberating mallet work and Bynum's vocalized exhortations on the rhapsodic "Think Tank" find stylistic accord with Ra's expressive aesthetic, Halvorson's metallic opening salvo is unlike anything in the legendary bandleader's discographythough it embodies an equally experimental spirit. The same could be said for Reid's lissome arco on the exotica tinged travelogue "Shadow Boxers Delight," while the brisk scuffle between Ward's sinuous alto and Laubrock's bristling tenor on the frenetic swinger "2000 West Erie" draws obvious inspiration from the same deep well of jazz history favored by Herman "Sonny" Blount.
The final half of the record ebbs and flows like an extended suite; the angular bop motifs of "Forget B" highlight Adasiewicz and Laubrock's unfettered verve, segueing into the incandescent pointillism of "Grow Lights," which is dominated by Abrams' lyrical bass. The dramatic finale "Old Science" pits Halvorson's spidery fretwork against Reid's serrated double-stops before culminating in a climactic excursion from Ward's trenchant alto that illuminates the potential of future endeavorssubtly inspired by past accomplishments.
Track Listing
New Myth; Think Tank; 2000 West Erie; Shadow Boxers Delight; Forget B; Grow Lights; Old Science.
Personnel
Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet; Ingrid Laubrock: tenor saxophone; Tomeka Reid: cello; Mary Halvorson: guitar; Jason Adasiewicz: vibraphone; Joshua Abrams: bass; Tomas Fujiwara: drums; Mike Reed: drums, electronics; Nick Butcher: electronics (1, 4).
Album information
Title: New Myth/Old Science | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Cuneiform Records
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