Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Han Bennink & Evan Parker: The Grass is Greener

191

Han Bennink & Evan Parker: The Grass is Greener

By

View read count
Han Bennink & Evan Parker: The Grass is Greener
Now Evan Parker has his own label, one would assume that its releases of his own music are those he considers among his best. That was certainly true of Lines Burnt in Light, the label's extraordinary debut on which Parker played solo soprano sax. Han Bennink & Evan Parker are an excellent pairing, but this release falls well within the boundaries of "normal improvisation." In other words, it does not have the same immediate appeal as Lines Burnt in Light, it needs to have more time invested in it, and it releases its pleasures more slowly. However, that is not a negative comment; experience has taught improv listeners that it can take years to fully separate the exceptional from the acceptable. Consequently, I am loath to declare this "better" or "worse," merely "different."

Bennink is a duo player par excellence, able to accommodate and to challenge playing partners (as he has repeatedly shown, with Derek Bailey, Dave Douglas, Ellery Eskelin, Myra Melford, Irene Schweizer, Cecil Taylor...) Ever unpredictable, here he employs a vast range of techniques, from snatches of rigid rhythmic accompaniment through to the freest of free methods. There is always a hint of humour about his playing; he is a surrealist and a prankster. The cover photograph of him, lurking behind a stern-faced Parker, with a twinkle in his eye and a Magritte-like pipe firmly in his mouth, speaks volumes. So do his cover paintings of a grazing cow, and the humorous track titles (taken from Lewis Hyde's Trickster Makes this World ). All contribute to an air of fun and frivolity—not words that one would automatically use to describe a Parker album, however good.

Parker himself is on fine form. He employs tenor sax throughout and is characteristically focussed and rigorous. Although Parker and Bennink react and interact well, Parker is not drawn into Bennink's theatrical agenda. The contrast between the two players makes intriguing listening.

Track Listing

Traps of Appetite; Traps of Instinct; Outside the Usual Rules of the Eating Game; Smoke of Sacrifice; The Empty Hook; Coyotes are Eating Pure Bred Poodles in Beverly Hills; Pluto has a Moon; To Tangle Lure and Snare.

Personnel

Evan Parker, saxophone; Han Bennink, percussion.

Album information

Title: The Grass Is Greener | Year Released: 2002 | 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.