The Squid's Ear
Writing about unusual and experimental 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.


  BassDrumBone (Hemingway / Helias / Anderson) 
  Afternoon
  (Auricle) 


  
   review by Andrey Henkin
  2025-01-13
BassDrumBone (Hemingway / Helias / Anderson): Afternoon (Auricle)

When, way back in November 1978, a trio of twenty-somethings, bassist Mark Helias, drummer Gerry Hemingway and trombonist Ray Anderson all at the beginnings of long and esteemed careers, convened in a New Haven studio (during a period when the Connecticut city was a hotbed of avant garde jazz) to record Oahspe, they could hardly have imagined the partnership continuing for another 45 years and counting.

That debut, made a year after the band had formed, the second release on Hemingway’s Auricle imprint, was listed under the participants’ names. For its most recent session Afternoon, the group much better known as BassDrumBone again finds a home on Auricle after two other earlier dates, 1987-97’s Cooked To Perfection and 2013-16’s The Long Road.

The personal and musical affection these three have for one another is evident, as they return from their various other projects and jobs to continue a decades-long conversation. As befits the collective nature of the group, Afternoon — recorded in a single July 2023 session, presumably in the titular part of the day — is comprised of three improvisations, “Afternoon Begins”, “Afternoon Continues” and “Afternoon Ends”, broken up by new compositions from each member.

The extemporaneous pieces are fluid and declamatory, the first playing with tempo, the second atmospheric and moody and third most textural and abstract. These contrast beautifully/intentionally with the compositions, whether Hemingway’s slinky “Ain’t Nuttin Butta”, Helias’ limpid “Shone Eyes” or Anderson’s stridently martial “Bright Wabash”.

A listening session of Afternoon paired with Oahspe shows how that young sapling — with attention, time and good fortune — could have grown taller over the years, more imposing, deepening its roots, yet still budding with new leaves and reaching towards the sunlight.



BassDrumBone (Hemingway / Helias / Anderson): Afternoon
Is Sold at Squidco!
Squidco




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
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. (39427)