Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Nate Wooley / Paul Lytton: Creak above 33

214

Nate Wooley / Paul Lytton: Creak above 33

By

View read count
Nate Wooley / Paul Lytton: Creak above 33
Just how much improvisation is possible by manipulating consoles and electronic buzz is evident in the ingenious experimentation of Nate Wooley and Paul Lytton on Creek above 33. Of course, there is also that small aspect of performance on trumpet and percussion, by Wooley and Lytton respectively, that almost goes unnoticed. It is so spare, and emerges in such brilliant flashes of light, that the music has a blinding effect on the ear as though it were a question of optics and not the auditory. Both Wooley and Lytton are masterful instrumentalists, and know exactly their place in history, and this cannot be tampered with. However, the lines that separate the chronology of events up to this point seem to disappear.

"The Mbala Effect" has a ritual, almost hypnotic effect. Wooley's sparse notes and long intervals markedly alter the tone after its theme of mystery and dark matter is established; the effect almost unforgettable. On "The Gentle Sturgeon," the linear musical line is like a narrative, the sketch of its character quietly unfolding. "Filtering the Fogweed" is a stunning dialogue between brass man and percussion colorist, and the resultant study is iconoclastic. "The Lonely Fisherman," perhaps the most noir piece on the album, features some sinister rolls on the tympani and extraordinarily eerie effects.

The minimal instrumentation of trumpet and drums together, as lead voices in Creek Above 33, features interesting and masterly sound design. In producing a musical study from this sound canvas, Wooley and Lytton have created yet another enduring and memorable duet, taking music into a dimension where few would venture. Hats off to Martin Davidson and Evan Parker for bringing a project as rare and brave as this one to fruition.

Track Listing

The Mbala Effect; The Gentle Sturgeon; Filtering the Fogweed; The Lonely Fisherman.

Personnel

Nate Wooley: trumpet, amplifier; Paul Lytton: percussion, live electronics.

Album information

Title: Creak above 33 | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Psi

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.