The Squid's Ear
Writing about improvised, contemporary, experimental and unusual music,
following the activities of Squidco...
  •  •  •     Join Our Mailing List!

The Squid's Ear
Facebook: Squidco Sales



Heard In

Reviews of artist releases:
cd's, books, magazines, &c.


  Simon Nabatov / Barry Guy / Gerry Hemingway 
  Luminous
  (NoBusiness) 


  
   review by Massimo Ricci
  2019-12-05
Simon Nabatov / Barry Guy / Gerry Hemingway: Luminous (NoBusiness)

I am thinking of the responsibilities of an accomplished improviser. An inborn ability of handling an infinitude of acoustic circumstances to synthesize the "feel of the instantaneous" while still respecting a series of norms; social norms, if you will. The necessity of keeping the ego in check; sensibly understanding when restraint is preferable to emphasis; and, in that regard, the development of a high-yielding intercommunication with equally gifted performers. To all of the above, add the obvious need of involving an eager audience in what's being expressed; or, in the worst case scenario (not infrequent in large-scale jazz festivals), of having to oppose — when not conform — a potentially enriching joint sonority to a gathering of distracted, and frequently noisy people.

Conversely, the inquisitive listener looks for a mix of sudden openings, dramatic suspensions of disbelief and enlightening confirmations, all of this possibly occurring beyond any conventional "expectation". Simon Nabatov, Barry Guy and Gerry Hemingway — respectively piano, double bass and drums, for those born today — are among the men for the job when it comes to that. Luminous — recorded in 2015 at Cologne's Loft — comprises over 77 minutes of skillful interaction. It is, purely and simply, an album for connoisseurs; at the same time, its variable intricacy never translates into difficulty for the sake of it. These gentlemen seriously mean every note they emit, turning creative clairvoyance into a sonic concreteness which is both poetic and clear-sighted.

The music's extemporaneous traits are defined by a common lack of trust for standardized "freedom" and unfruitful presuppositions. A detailed analysis of the interstices between quietness and talkativeness can be followed by a turbulent outburst; a single instrumentalist may build a little castle of sand for a few instants, only to become one with the foam of his comrades' dynamizing ripples a minute later. The moments where "tranquillity" rhymes with "conformity" are rare, the musicians privileging paths of untainted intuition amidst constantly shifting, and often severely atonal contrapuntal volumes. This notwithstanding, at any given moment they stop on a particular pitch, reiterate a fragment of phrase, or produce whispering overtones to confirm their position in the improvisational topography. Either collectively, or by glancing at each other while contemplating on the instrument, they systematically manage to reach the unstated destination.







Comments and Feedback:



The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Berlin Art Quartet (
Schubert /
Bauer /
Muller /
Bruggemann):
Live At MIM
(Unisono Records)



Jimmy Lyons:
Rivbea Live! Series,
Volume 3
(NoBusiness)



Erik Klinga:
Elusive Shimmer
(thanatosis produktion)



Das B (
Mazen Kerbaj /
Mike Majkowski /
Magda Mayas /
Tony Buck):
Love
(thanatosis produktion /
Corbett Vs Dempsey)



Brass Clouds:
Escape Vessels
(Bathysphere Records)



Fire! Orchestra:
Echoes
[2 CDs]
(Rune Grammofon)



Sophie Agnel /
John Edwards /
Steve Noble:
Three On A Match
(Otoroku)



Satoko Fujii
This is It! (
w/
Natsuki Tamura /
Takashi Itani):
Message
(Libra)



Sorry For Laughing (
G. Whitlow /
M. Bates /
Dave-Id /
E. Ka-Spel):
Rain Flowers
[2 CDS]
(Klanggalerie)



New Origin (
feat. Christoph Rocher /
Joe Fonda /
Harvey Sorge):
The Poet Walks
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Simon Nabatov:
Agree to Disagree
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Von Schlippenbach, Alexander /
Barry Altschul Quartet w/
Joe Fonda &
Rudi Mahal:
Free Flow
[2 CDs]
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Thelonious Monk with
Sonny Rollins:
1953 To 1957
Revisited
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Daniel Carter /
Ayumi Ishito /
George Draguns /
Ed Wilcox:
Makeshift Spirituals
(577 Records)



Kory Reeder:
Homestead
(Another Timbre)



John Cage:
Chamber Works 1943-1951
(Another Timbre)



Josh Sinton:
Couloir &
Book Of Practitioners
Vol. 2
Book "W"
[2 CDs]
(FiP recordings)



Elliott Sharp /
Scott Fields:
Reimsi Geara
(Relative Pitch)



KnCurrent (
Brennan /
Cooper-Moore /
Davis /
Hwang):
KnCurrent
(Deep Dish)



Biota:
Measured Not Found
(Recommended Records)







Squidco









The Squid's Ear is the companion magazine to the online music shop Squidco !


  Copyright © Squidco. All rights reserved. Trademarks. (7036)