Wildman Glassmeyer Moran: BIFT

BIFT features free improvisation from Jason Wildman (drums, percussion), Matt Glassmeyer (saxophone, buzzaphone, and miscellaneous sounds), and Sean Moran (guitar). The music has one foot in classic fusion and the other in the music of the future, with seemingly electronically generated sounds that I can't always place.

Clockwise From is like a case study in trying to discern when freedom becomes directionless meandering. About three and a half minutes into the track, you get that familiar feeling, often experienced when watching a movie, when you realize nothing is going to happen. You've already sat through most of the track, so you feel like you might as well stay to the bitter end. Music can provoke varied emotions, and feeling like you are in a war of attrition is definitely one of them.

Frustratingly, amid the clutter of aimless filler like "Clockwise From and the forced whimsy of "Papa Papa Pa Pa are affecting tracks like "Same Girl. Glassmeyer blows a quavering solo and Moran sends the song into orbit with a spiraling solo of deep mystery. That they are capable of this makes some of the less potent pieces all the more glaring.

It is really hard to fault artists for trying new things, but when the most successful track on an album filled with experiment is one of the most traditional and straightforward, maybe it's time to re-examine the point of such experimental elements in their work.