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.


  John Butcher / Pat Thomas / Dominic Lash / Steve Noble 
  Fathom
  (577 Records) 


  
   review by Ken Waxman
  2023-12-04
John Butcher / Pat Thomas / Dominic Lash / Steve Noble: Fathom (577 Records)

Four of the UK's most accomplished creative music players incorporate for this live session of unbridled improvisation, transcending the limitations of conventional instruments. That's should be no surprise since soprano/tenor saxophonist John Butcher, pianist Pat Thomas, bassist Dominic Lash and drummer Steve Noble have been involved with sound expansion for decades.

Beginning with a spray of bullhorn-loud harsh projections from the tenor saxophone, Butcher's tone widens, pumps and throbs, soon joined by Thomas' pressurized clanks and clips, Lash's sul ponticello thrusts and Noble's sandpaper-like rubs and rebounds.

Noble's wobbling of unattached cymbals and hollowed drum pops, Thomas' keyboard swirls and processional comping and Lash's resonating string plucks are more than backdrops for Butcher's outbursts of aviary quacks, soprano sax whistles or squeezing out pure air without key movement. While thickened group expression is paramount during the CD's three tracks, space exists for trenchant solo interjections and division of the four into duo and trio configurations.

"Fathom Part 3", the pressurized final sequence, eventually reaches a climax that equally reflects light and darkness, sky high and basement pitches and varied tempos. As clenched bass string pressure stacks up against winnowing reed drones and drums rumbles against piano comping, the keyboard steadiness that Thomas has been consistently creating unperturbed throughout gradually relaxes the others timbral extravagances. A concluding blend of flat-line breathing from Butcher, speedy percussion rumbles and bottom string scrapes dissolves the program into stasis.

Prominent in solo settings and in numerous ensembles from duos to big bands, one can fathom that this collaborative improvisation creates some of the best work from these veteran players.







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. (1091)