Commissioned by Anthony Braxton's Tri-Centric Foundation, trumpeter Nate Wooley developed a modular compositional structure of small melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, conceptual, textural, and timbral fragments, allowing Ingrid Laubrock (sax), Sylvie Courvoisier (piano), and Matt Moran (Vibes) exceptional freedom in improvisation, here in their 2nd recording live at Koeln's Loft.
"In 2014, trumpeter and composer Nate Wooley received a commission by none other than Anthony Braxton and the Tri-Centric Foundation to create a new music. His response was to rethink the way composition could inform improvisationŠa practice he continues with his new group, knknighgh and in the duo with Ken Vandermark. The result was Battle Pieces.
Building a modular structure of small melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, conceptual, textural, and timbral fragments, which now number over 100, he built a net of musical choice that allowed musicians to push themselves far out of their comfort zones and, in turn, create exciting new music.
This concept only works with the right musicians, however, and Wooley picked some of New York's finest: Ingrid Laubrock on saxophones, Sylvie Courvoisier on piano, and Matt Moran on Vibes.
The initial concert at the Tri-Centric Foundation Festival was released on Relative Pitch Records as Battle Pieces. The group then went on a snowy tour of Europe at the end of 2015, which allowed the quartet to expand and refine their approach to the ever expanded musical material. Battle Pieces 2 is documentation of that process, recorded live at The Loft in Koeln and featuring some of the most daring constructions of the Battle Pieces system to date."-Nate Wooley
"Not unlike its predecessor, this album is based on a musical system. Notably, over 100 snippets that exercise the textural and timbral aspects of each instrument and groups thereof. The result is something that is not free improv, but a spontaneous composition formed according to a set of rules. The arrangements focus on one or two lead instruments, with the others filling in the gaps and providing accents. There certainly are melodies and harmonies on these four pieces, but they are short and fleeting. The lead instrumentalist is given room to express him or herself, and it should be no surprise that these four do so in an "outside" fashion. Still, the pieces tend to move slowly and in an atmospheric manner, even when the playing gets frenetic.
After a few listens to Battle Pieces II, one cannot help but think that Wooley is not so much a composer, but an architect of musical language. Similar to Anthony Braxton (one of his mentors and a clear inspiration), Wooley designs meta-musical constructs that set forth particular constraints within which a group can explore and experiment. Wooley and company could exercise these elements every day for a year and never repeat themselves. Let's hope this journey continues regardless of where it ends up."-Mike, Avant Music News