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




Heard In

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


  Izumi Kimura / Artur Majewski / Barry Guy / Ramon Lopez 
  Kind Of Shadow
  (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!)) 


  
   review by Ken Waxman
  2023-06-15
Izumi Kimura / Artur Majewski / Barry Guy / Ramon Lopez: Kind Of Shadow (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Confirming the internationalism of free music, this 11-part improvisation captures an ad-hoc quartet on its first meeting. While British bassist Barry Guy, Spanish percussionist Ramon Lopez and Japanese pianist Izumi Kimura have previously played together, Polish trumpeter Artur Majewski has not. It doesn't matters, for Majewski's deliberately paced brass timbres embellished, enhanced or contorted with electronics, complements the others' musical contributions like perogies with sour cream.

From the very beginning his atmospheric, ethereal breaths are mated with tabla-like thumps from Lopez, chunky double bass throbs and near-formal piano patterns. Although programming lets Majewski's trumpet sometimes create two separate but complementary sounds, on "Part Six", the technical wizardry is only one standout among many. Guy's string rappelling from near the scroll to the spike on "Part Eight", for instance, end with slapping pumps brawnier than associated drum beats. On "Part Four". Kimura's melodic story-telling abruptly transforms to dynamic chording that splatters upwards and downwards into pedal point, turning the exposition sideways as well as forward as bass clunks and rim shots cannily accompanying him. Lopez's rumbles and nerve beats seldom sound as if they're marching to their own drum but intersect with trumpet tones, whether heraldic triplets or half-valve buzzes, arco string squeezes or pizzicato pumps, and relaxed or rigid keyboard comping.

The extended "Part Three" is most indicative of the quartet's strategy. Muffled brass cries face elevated bass plucks and cymbal crashes as Majewski modulates to alp-horn like bleats and electrified growls. Despite the constant tone transmutation all maintain linear emphasis.

Some stomachs could find mixing perogies, tapas, boiled beef and sushi upsetting. As a musical buffet however there's no cleavage.







Comments and Feedback:



More Recent Reviews, Articles, and Interviews @ The Squid's Ear...


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

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Frank Trompeter/
Richard Gilman-Opalsky:
Antifascist Freedom Music
(Mahakala Music)



Sei Miguel:
Viva! O Carro de Fogo de Sei Miguel
[2 CDs]
(Clean Feed)



Mikolaj Trzaska/
John Edwards/
Mark Sanders:
Because It Happens
[VINYL]
(gusstaff records)



Enso (
Benjamin Dwyer/
Rafal Mazur/
Ramon Lopez):
Rhizoming
(Fundacja Sluchaj!)



Joe Morris/
Rob Brown/
Anna Webber/
Matthew Rousseaux:
Counter Spectacle
(Fundacja Sluchaj!)



B:A:N:S BAND (
Sophie Agnel/
John Butcher/
Pascal Niggenkemper/
Stale Liavik Solberg):
Foam & Mesh
(Fundacja Sluchaj!)



Golding/
Brice/
Prevost:
High Laver Levitations Vol 4: Sound-Out -
jazz is dead,
long live jazz
(Matchless)



Angles 4 (
Kuchen/
Haker-Flaten/
Stahl/
Nordeson):
Angles 4
[CD + DOWNLOAD]
(Relative Pitch)



Glass Triangle (
Parkins/
Rasmussen/
Sawyer):
3 X 1
[CD + DOWNLOAD]
(Relative Pitch)



Lao Dan Chicago Quartet:
Klotski
(Trost Records)



Lao Dan Chicago Quartet:
Klotski
[VINYL]
(Trost Records)



Nick Mazzarella:
Siena Sessions
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)



Hartmut Geerken/
Chris Trent:
Omniverse Sun Ra (
Expanded And Revised
3rd Edition:
2026)
[BOOK]
(Art Yard)



Sonic Fiction Special (
Gratkowski/
Strobl/
Graewe/
Hemingway) feat. Earl Howard:
Banding Patterns
(Random Acoustics)



Schlippenbach Trio:
Elf Bagatellen
[DOUBLE VINYL]
(Cien Fuegos)



Verona Sextet (
Armaroli/
Buck/
Gemmo/
Mayas/
Piccolo/
Sharp):
Leap And Bounds
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



The Stateless Trio:
In the Sunrise of
Some Other World
(Squid Note Records)



Chris Potter (
feat Bill Frisell):
Alive With
Ghosts Today
(Edition Records)



Jaki Byard:
The Classic 1960s Albums
[4 CDs]
(Enlightenment)



Mnemonist Orchestra:
Mnemonist Orchestra
(Klanggalerie)







Squidco
Click here to
advertise with
The Squid's Ear






The Squid's Ear pays its writers.
Interested in becoming a reviewer?




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


  Copyright © Squidco. All rights reserved. Trademarks. (1409)