Henry Kaiser and Ray Russell: The Celestial Squid

Jazz fusion guitarist Ray Russell and polystylistic experimentalist Henry Kaiser have never previously recorded together. Kaiser's recorded output is prodigious whereas Russell's is more modest. His debut album Turn Circle(1968) was swiftly followed by a clutch of critically acclaimed but more challenging ones such as Dragon Hill (1969) and Secret Asylum (1973) prior to Russell changing tack to more fusion based recordings. It is these "challenging" works to which The Celestial Squid invites most comparison.

"Gutken Limpo" opens with angular guitars and a horn-infused head arrangement. A calmer "In Another Life" utilises lugubrious dirge-like horns, presents the first evidence of (reverse) digitised guitar and is a more reflective piece generally. One minor quibble is the lack of information as to which guitarist dominates which channel but it's probable that Russell is on the right and Kaiser the left; that channel being more effects-rich.

"That Darn Squid" returns to a more rock-based feel, horn and guitar ensemble passages pervade to fascinating effect. Kaiser's notes-on-steroids soloing dominates proceedings although Russell contributes echo-rich plangent shredding too. The title track delivers high velocity guitar interspersed by brief horn, drum and bass forays whereas "The Enumeration" begins with Kaiser playing what could be a brief acoustic homage to Derek Bailey replete with Bailey's trademark harmonics before the electrics kick-in.

"Victims" begins with more reverse guitar and sax and a coruscating guitar solo from Russell. "Disinterested Bystanders" begins (and ends) almost like a King Crimson piece with a repeated, heavy guitar and sax riff leading into guitar improvisations. If not obvious before, the relative straightforwardness of the track highlights the different approaches of the guitarists. Russell sticks mainly, but not exclusively to "straight" electric shredding whilst Kaiser takes an opposite stance, digital effects to the fore. This is arguably the most satisfying track on the album. "Construction #14," the longest piece at nearly 16 minutes opens with transient acoustic guitar, rapidly acceding to a near-continuous melee of rumbustious guitar and sax.

The extemporizational nature of this album is undoubtedly enhanced by sporadic structure. The session simultaneously represents a coherent and boisterous affair, the guitarists bouncing ideas off each other, and crucially it offers a fascinating coda to Secret Asylum.