Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Low Profile

The center of the disc is the thirty-one minute "The Only Geezer an American Soldier Shot Was Anton Webern," which is played by the trio of Stevens, Coombes, and Wood. Here the string players range through classical effects, percussive motifs, Ornetteian sturm und drang, and much more, while Stevens deftly shades their broods and wails with skitters and tweaks of percussion. There is a great deal to this piece worth savoring.

When Smith joins the fray for the twenty-three minute "Low Profile," the crisp and often bell-like sound of his guitar tends to anchor and root the music at a somewhat more earthy level. And the combinations of the violin and guitar are often extraordinarily lush and inviting, as each in turn plays a percussive or droning role while the other takes center stage - or their solos simply intertwine.

A fascinating disc.

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