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Matt Piet: (pentimento)
by Kevin Press
In the notes that accompany this remarkable new album from Chicago improv pianist Matt Piet, he writes that he ..."needed to learn how to give again." With remarkable frankness, Piet describes a kind of breakdown in 2018. After years of mental health challenges and substance abuse (his words), it was the passing of another great avant-gardist that tipped the balance. “The death of Cecil Taylor impacted me in ways I had not anticipated," writes Piet. “I was proud ...
read moreMatt Piet: (pentimento)
by Mark Corroto
It goes without saying that 2020, year one of the global pandemic, was oppressive and overwhelming at times. Nearly everyone in their individual isolation came to recognize what has been lost and, hopefully, identify the resilience of the human spirit. One could argue the hardest hit were musicians, where touring and performing for an audience, and even recording opportunities were unavailable. But there is always hope, and that resilience cannot be suppressed. Exhibit #1 is (pentimento) by Chicago improvising artist ...
read moreJake Wark Quartet: Scrawl
by Troy Dostert
A strong meeting of four of Chicago's leading improvisers, Scrawl is tenor saxophonist Jake Wark's second disc as a leader, after 2016's Tremor (Amalgam Music), which featured the talents of drummer Phil Haynes and bassist Drew Gress. The Chicago scene has long had a collectivist spirit, and it's on display here, as clarinetist Angel Bat Dawid, bassist Jakob Heinemann, and drummer Adam Shead bring their undeniable camaraderie to bear on five engaging Wark compositions. Wark's biting sound has ...
read moreFour Letter Words: Pinch Point
by Mark Corroto
What is the difference between unbalanced and off balance? Very little, if you listen to Four Letter Words' Pinch Point, the trio's third release, after Blow (Amalgam, 2015) and Radio Silence (Amalgam, 2015). Unbalanced can mean both “disturbed" and “demented." Certainly the seven improvisations presented here can be a bit disturbing, meaning the music seeks no level nor stable meter. Let's not approach demented yet. Part of the newest of new wave Chicago improvisers, Four Letter Words are ...
read moreMatt Piet: Of Sound Mind
by Budd Kopman
Pianist Matt Piet is most definitely a thinking man's player, roughly on a par with Ron Stabinsky (see Free For One), but with less notoriety (at least for now). Appearing as a member of the cooperative group Four Letter Words on Blow, he seemed to drive the music with a strong, clear musical personality. Of Sound Mind is his recording debut as a leader, and is intended as a major statement of intent. The instrumentation is that of ...
read moreFour Letter Words: Blow
by Budd Kopman
Four Letter Words is a trio consisting of tenor saxophonist Jake Wark, pianist Matt Piet and drummer Bill Harris, and Blow is their highly intelligent, extremely intense and deeply rewarding debut recording. As usual, labels are almost useless. Their music manages to sound quite free while simultaneously being organized around motifs, if not full melodies. Aural imagery is strongly projected, with each track exploring a particular area of emotional complexity as well as creating an almost concrete listening ...
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