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April 2004

By Glenn Astarita
March 31, 2004
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Coyote Poets Of The Universe

Coyote Poets

Square Shaped Records

A Colorado based unit featuring Andy O’Leary’s hip poetry on selected tracks. The music skirts the outer realms of world music, and art-rock, amid richly textured sonic dreamscapes. Overall, the band conveys a multifaceted persona throughout an album that instills equal parts jubilance and braininess.

No Bed Of Roses

Dub Syndicate

EFA

Recorded in Kingston, Jamaica, the band’s latest CD offers a spaced-out perspective of dub, via the use of electronic keys and samples. Nonetheless the dub ingredient is prominently portrayed here. Several vocalists contribute to this effort. As the musicians’ contemporary slant interjected with sparks of wit and humor, equates to an undeniably fun-filled affair.

The Psyche

The Revolutionary Ensemble

Mutable Music

This is the CD reissue of the seminal trio’s third LP. As stated within the liners, the musicians sold the entire first pressing while on tour in Europe. The legendary trio featured violinist Leroy Jenkins, bassist Sirone, and drummer/pianist Jerome Cooper. They multitask quite a bit during these three predominately lengthy works marked by Cooper’s melodically drenched polyrhythms and his band-mates passionate soloing jaunts. Jenkins and company are on fire here, as they meld subtle melodies with a sense of controlled turbulence and killer riffing.

Damage In Transit

Steve Swallow – Chris Potter – Adam Nussbaum

WATT Works/ECM Records

Sure, bass great Steve Swallow and red-hot tenor saxophonist Chris Potter get quite a bit of press these days. But Adam Nussbaum proves yet again why he is one of the finest jazz drummers on the globe. As he frequently stirs the pot for this highly charged set. Nothing fancy or strikingly novel, this outing – recorded live on tour in France – is a fast-paced modern jazz type romp, led by Potter’s bustling lines and fluid attack. Swallow and Nussbaum execute a brawny but comparatively limber bottom end, with the energy of a race car soaring past the redline.

Rip-Stop

Sophie Agnel – Olivier Benoit

In Sutu

Pianist Sophie Agnel performs these abstract duets with electric guitarist Olivier Benoit, for a set marked by moments of rambunctious dialogues and segments of near total silence. Interesting in spots, but a good portion of these four tracks tend to sound a tad superfluous. They also tinker with noise while embarking on forbidden sojourns.

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