AMM

Uncovered Correspondence: A Postcard From Jaslo

Label: Matchless Country: England

"The performance represented by this CD took place on 15th of May 2010 in the concert hall of the Jasielski Dom Kultury Centre in southern Poland. The concert began with John Tilbury using the piano to produce a gamelan-like quality, which was quickly followed by Eddie Prevost bowing a cymbal producing subtle metallic sounds. One could feel an electric atmosphere of concentration and note the exceptional care and elegance with which the performers selected even the tiniest details of the complex sound structure. Intriguing phrases from the prepared piano and sonorous tones from percussion instruments wafted around the huge expanse of the hall -- whose excellent acoustics let the audience immerse themselves in the music -- savouring the subtle sounds emerging from the silence.

The changes within the slow stream of improvisation occurred in such a natural way introduced by either musician by turn. Sometimes a highly abstract motif seemed to be a logical development rather than a step into the unknown -- which in reality it was. The dominant impression was that such an advanced level of intuitive understanding between the two performers was the result of many years of collaboration. In my view each sound produced during the concert was not only 'desirable' but also essential (inevitable) and created its own profound aesthetic justification. Especially noteworthy was the compelling way in which both musicians made use of silence, whose role in AMM is as important as sound. The performance of a shorter or longer period of silence entailed the same creative intervention as did playing a sound or motif. The moments when the sound structure intensified and thickened became less frequent yet did not disappear completely."-Andrzej Serwa, August 2010

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