Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Carter/Cook/Kowald/LaMaster: Principle Hope

Carter/Cook/Kowald/LaMaster: Principle Hope

By Richton Guy Thomas
March 12, 2003
View read count

Free jazz, like bebop, is complex intense playing with an emphasis on momentum. This is a simple description of the music that occupies a portion of Principle Hope. The venue where this music was performed is Boston's Tremont Theatre, a regular home for no-holds-barred open-ended jazz. The essential component of any free jazz performance is strong communication between each member of the group, which ensures forward motion. The late Peter Kowald lends particularly keen vision to this ensemble, whose credits simply appear in alphabetical order.

These numbers have a softer context then what might normally be expected from such a high energy group. The opening number, "Awakening," is the prefect interpretation of free jazz's signature sound: very intense playing. While Kowald and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter trading notes, Laurence Cook pushes both men forward with his drumming. The unanticipated treat occurs when Jonathan LaMaster's violin drops in to thrust the improvisation to another level.

Daniel Carter is an established virtuoso on the New York downtown music scene. On the track “The Many and the Few,” Carter plays a muted trumpet while Kowald sprints through bass scales on top. This is not music marketed for the masses; it aims for listeners with an appreciation for extemporaneously creative improvisation.

Track Listing

I- Awakening (5:35) II- Spirit of Hope (4:44) III- New Flakes on Dirty Snow 4:02) IV- M.S. Darling (7:23) V- Danse de la Liberte (6:33) VI- Schone Tone (bass and clarinet duet (3:42) VII- The Many and the Few (5:12) VIII- Atlantis by Sine Wave (violent and drum duet (5:22) IX- Weight of the World (3:52) X- A Prayer in the Universal Language (7:39) XI- Live at the Tremont Theatre (4:07)

Personnel

Daniel Carter

saxophone

Daniel Carter - reeds. trumpet and flute; Laurence Cook - drums and electronic percussion; Peter Kowald - double bass; Jonathan LaMaster - acoustic violin, electric 6 string violin.

Album information

Title: Principle Hope | Year Released: 2003 | Record Label: Sublingual Records

About Daniel Carter

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Luminous Axis
< Previous

A Peep Into European Jazz
Next >

Daniel Carter Concerts

Jun 28 Wed

Daniel Carter Celebration Black Octopus

Abrons Arts Center
New York, NY

Become a Sustaining Member

Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.

Help Build the Future of All About Jazz

Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.

Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.

Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.