Cor Fuhler: Corkestra

The resourceful Amsterdam-based composer/performer/inventor Cor Fuhler brings his hatful of tricks to the nonet form when he leads the Corkestra. Miniature sound wonders materialize over the course of these organized improvisations. Fuhler's love of old, distinctive-sounding keyboards fits his richly textured ensemble, which includes Nora Mulder on cymbalom, the Ex's Andy Moor on guitar, Anne La Barge on flute, Tony Buck and Michael Vatcher on percussion, Ab Baars and Tobias Delius on reeds, and Wilbert de Joode on double bass. Together they traverse Fuhler's personal yet familiar soundscapes.

"Zand I chugs along happily on square wheeled riffs, keyboard, bass, and cymbalom unison, while the tenors roar. "Triangle Sun employs strangely stringed terrains, possibly using Fuhler's keyolin, the cymbalom and guitar possibly prepared. Scritchey scratchy strings scrape and squeak into dramatic interludes. A Mingus-esque theme opens "Green Peppers. Cor's organ solo has shimmering support from Mulder, with sparse shards of arrangements appearing briefly. Sounding like a bristling group improvisation, "Zwerfduin tumbles and changes until a bass riff rises two-thirds of the way through, focusing the fireworks.

Lilting piccolo joins lurching tenor on "Dromedaris. Percussion scrambles cross guitar skronk and imperative cymbalom. "Zand II sounds initially like "Rocket Number Nine, and boasts a tenor solo squeal somewhere between Pharoah Saunders and Frank Lowe. "Zout I begins with a whimsical theme that blurs and regroups. A cymbalom storm sparks de Joode and a brief fire sweeps the ensemble. The old electric organ sets the pace for a Bolero-like exposition. The brief "Water Supply closes the set with a somber chamber atmosphere.

Fuhler and the Corkestra offer easy passage to new sounds and entertaining arrangements via the vision of the leader.