The Squid's Ear Magazine


Memphis Metaphysics (Moses / Westgaard / Oswald / Edmaiston / Cheli): Memphis Metaphysics (Sonic Transmissions Records)

The quintet of Ra Kalam Bob Moses (drums), Hein Westgaard (electric guitar), Margaux Oswald (piano), Art Edmaiston (tenor saxophone), and Kevin Cheli (percussion fuse spiritual free jazz with European improvisational energy, drawing on ancient Egyptian concepts of the soul to shape a fiery and resonant sonic ritual, recorded live in Memphis in an atmosphere of raw and uncompromising interplay.
 

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Product Information:

Personnel:



Bob Moses-(Ra Kalam Bob Moses) drums

Hein Westgaard-electric guitar

Margaux Oswald-piano

Art Edmaiston-tenor saxophone

Kevin Cheli-percussion

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UPC: 1993509467766

Label: Sonic Transmissions Records
Catalog ID: STRCD51
Squidco Product Code: 36832

Format: CD
Condition: New
Released: 2025
Country: Norway
Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold
Recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, on December 1st, 2023, by Kevin Cheli. Mastered by Giuseppe Ielasi
Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

Artist Biographies

"Bob Moses (born January 28, 1948) is an American jazz drummer.

Moses played with Roland Kirk in 1964-65 while he was still a teenager. In 1966 he and Larry Coryell formed The Free Spirits, a jazz fusion ensemble, and from 1967 to 1969 he played in Gary Burton's quartet. He also recorded with Burton in the 1970s, in addition to work with Dave Liebman/Open Sky, Pat Metheny, Mike Gibbs, Hal Galper, Gil Goldstein, Steve Swallow, Steve Kuhn/Sheila Jordan (from 1979 to 1982), George Gruntz, and Emily Remler (from 1983 to 1984). In the early 1970s he was a member of Compost with Harold Vick, Jumma Santos, Jack Gregg (fr) and Jack DeJohnette.

His first session as a leader was in 1968, released as the record Love Animal. His second session as a leader was in 1973 with the release of Bittersuite in the Ozone. his records for Gramavision in the 1980s were critically acclaimed.

He is also the author of the drum method book Drum Wisdom.

Moses currently performs alongside John Lockwood, Don Pate, and John Medeski with noted guitarist Tisziji Muñoz and teaches at New England Conservatory."

-Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Moses_(musician))
1/26/2026

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"Hein Westgaard is a Norwegian guitarist, improviser and composer, based in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Hein Westgaard Trio is a guitar-bass-and-drums trio that plays exploratory, genre-curious music, freely mixing elaborate compositions with open improvisations."

-Hein Westgaard Bandcamp (https://heinwestgaardtrio.bandcamp.com/)
1/26/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Margaux Oswald is a pianist of French-Filipina origin, born in Geneva, and currently based in Copenhagen. She has played the piano since the age of 5, and is now committed to the art of free improvisation. She has recorded with Swedish guitarist Niklas Fite (Fire! Orchestra), in a duo with Danish trumpeter Kasper Tranberg, and in a trio with Argentine saxophonist Albert Cirera & bassist Johannes Nästesjö."

-Monoopiano, Disocgs (https://www.monopiano.com/program)
1/26/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

Art Edmaiston - Memphis, TN saxophonist, improvisor/composer and player of "Ecstatic Energy Music". Credits include Gregg Allman, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Little Feat, JJ Grey & Mofro, Ra Kalam Bob Moses and many more.

"Art's voluptuous sound on the tenor saxophone was sculpted from years spent playing R&B and blues in Memphis, but has origins in the small country town of Troy, TN where he grew up playing alone in wide open farm land and soybean fields.

Edmaiston creates forward-looking music while being fully present in the moment. Bold improvisations teeming with energetic melodies that alternate between husky subtones and brilliant multiphonic flourishes. Blues and spiritual music are an underlying influence in the original compositions as well as a touchstone throughout his solo journeys.His personal creative approach to the soprano saxophone makes use of smeared notes, pitch bends and tonal manipulations offering listeners an aural picture of abstract liberated instrumental expression unlike anything heard in mainstream music performances."

-Choose 901 (https://choose901.com/event/art-edmaiston/)
1/26/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Kevin Cheli is an improvising percussionist and electronic musician currently based in St. Louis, MO. He has performed and recorded improvised music across the United States in a wide variety of ensembles with artists such as Damon Smith, Jessica Ackerley, Gahlord Dewald, Sandy Ewen, Scott Looney, Seth Andrew Davis, Jeff Kaiser, Bob Bucko Jr., Alexander Adams, Reid Karris, Tom Law, Álvaro Domene, Lucas Brode, Michael Eaton, Al Margolis, Kyle Quass, Federico Musso, Errant Space, Adam Gabbert, and Luc Mosley. Since 2018 he has contributed sounds, engineering, and artwork to more than a dozen releases of improvised and experimental music.

Kevin holds a BM from Webster University and an MA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City."

-Kevin Cheli Website (https://www.kevincheli.com/)
1/26/2026

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:
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Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
Quintet Recordings
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