Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Lou Grassi, Tom Varner, Ron Horton, Tomas Ulrich: Neo Neo
Lou Grassi, Tom Varner, Ron Horton, Tomas Ulrich: Neo Neo
ByThe music is often busy and intense, but there is plenty of variety to keep the listener guessing. Three of the pieces are from Horton’s 1999 Omnitone release Genius Envy. Varner contributes six of the fifteen compositions, including the marvelously spare "Space Ballad" and the ambitious "Meditation Sketch." The three-part suite "Lopey" begins with a playful duet between Horton and Varner, then adds Ulrich for the second movement before culminating in a full-ensemble finale that almost evokes an off-kilter New Orleans band. Ulrich’s "Louless" is another trio piece; Grassi’s absence creates space for new and unexpected textures to emerge.
These performances, together with producer Robert Rusch’s lively and detailed session notes and CIMP’s scrupulous recording standards, make Neo Neo a pleasure, as well as a worthy entry in the discographies of each of the four players involved.
Track Listing
1. Carla Blake 2. Hemoglobin 3. For Thomas Chapin 4. Genius Envy 5. Neo Neo 6. Mini for Tomas 7. Spit It Out 8. Northern Lights 9. Space Ballad 10. Meditation Sketch 11. Louless 12. Lopey Pt. 1 13. Lopey Pt. 2 14. Lopey Pt. 3 15. Unbearable Being of Lightness
Personnel
Lou Grassi
drumsLou Grassi, drums; Tom Varner, French horn; Ron Horton, trumpet; Tomas Ulrich, cello
Album information
Title: Neo Neo | Year Released: 2001 | Record Label: Creative Improvised Music Proj
Tags
Comments
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Lou Grassi Concerts
Support All About Jazz
