Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Brett Larner/Shoko Hikage/Philip Gelb: Indistancing

Brett Larner/Shoko Hikage/Philip Gelb: Indistancing

By AAJ Staff
May 1, 1999
View read count

Brett Larner/Shoko Hikage/Philip Gelb: Indistancing

In the blending of cultures that modern technology has made possible, traditional Japanese instruments like the koto and shakuhachi are now harnessed for free improvisation. In addition to the idiomatic cultural references these instruments bring, they also lend a distinctive tonality to the music. The koto, a stringed instrument, occupies the treble zone with a harsh attack and limited sustain. The shakuhachi, a flute-like instrument, also floats high with a thin treble sound and rich overtones.

On Indistancing, three masters realize the truly international character of these instruments. Canadian expatriate Brett Larner first met fellow koto player Shoko Hikage (Japanese) and shakuhachi player Philip Gelb (American) a mere 30 minutes before this performance, though you wouldn't guess it from the sound of the record. Sparse, haunting melodies intertwine and explode into frenzied intensity, then settle back into contemplative introspection.

Absent throughout Indistancing are conventional jazz forms usually associated with improvisation, though the musicians engage in plenty of intelligent and sensitive interplay. About halfway through the record, a dripping noise appears in the left channel. Since nature chose to accompany the performance, the musicians choose to accept it and move forward with the improvisation. Maybe that's an Eastern way of looking at things—who knows?

Track Listing

Confluence; Volt/Going; Indistancing; Channel.

Personnel

Brett Larner/Shoko Hikage/Philip Gelb

vocals

Brett Larner, koto; Shoko Hikage, koto; Philip Gelb, shakuhachi.

Album information

Title: Indistancing | Year Released: 1999 | Record Label: Leo Records

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Kind of Blue
< Previous

Dave Douglas: Convergence
Next >

Support All About Jazz

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.