A new quintet lineup for the long-running Boston collective Leap of Faith, expanding the core duet of David Peck on reeds & flutes and Glynis Lomon on cello, aquasonic & voice, with trumpeter Ellwood Epps, double bassist Nate McBride, drummer Eric Rosenthal, and transformed by live signal processing from Joel Simches, performing a powerful and extended post-pandemic concert.
Format: CD Condition: New Released: 2021 Country: USA Packaging: Digipack Livestreamed to YouTube Evil Clown Headquarters, Waltham MA 20 November 2021.
"Leap of Faith is the core duet of the Leap of Faith Orchestra (LOFO) comprised of PEK on clarinets, saxophones, clarinets & flutes, and Glynis Lomon on cello, aquasonic & voice. The ensemble is based in Boston and dates back to the early 90s. We utilize a huge arsenal of additional Evil Clown instruments to improvise long works featuring transformations across highly varied sonorities. At times, the core unit has been a trio or even a quartet. The longest running core unit was comprised of PEK, Glynis and drummer Yuri Zbitnov, who played for the last couple of years of the archival period and the first 5 years of the reboot starting in 2015. The ensemble has always been highly modular, and our many recordings (well over 100) feature the core unit in dozens of configurations with a huge list of guests and occasionally as only the core unit with no guests. Currently, the core unit is the duet of PEK and Lomon and we are regularly presenting LIVESTREAMs to YouTube from Evil Clown Headquarters with other guest performers.
This is the first Leap of Faith set with this quintet lineup. There have been some changes to the Evil Clown roster over the pandemic. While many of the regulars are still around and have been participating in the LIVESTREAMING shows from Evil Clown Headquarters, some have changed up in one way or another and are no longer available. Likewise, I have some new players, and I have some that participated in the past and are now rejoining us. This is the first Evil Clown appearance by bassist Nate McBride, the second appearance by trumpeter Ellwood Epps who now lives in the Boston area and will be more available (Turbulence - Upheaval), and the third appearance by drummer Eric Rosenthal (who performed on two of the Form Notation scores for the Leap of Faith Orchestra.
Despite being a first set by this quintet, there are lots of cross connections within the Boston Improv scene. Of course Glynis and I have played since forever, but Ellwood had been a frequent guest of Glynis' other band the New Language Collaborative, and Nate and Eric have frequently played together in many different contexts. This is common when playing with seasoned improvisors in new settings. This ensemble sounds like it has played together many times, not one.
I've been looking forward to this session since I booked it. All three of the guest players stand out on their instruments and have significant credentials in the free jazz improvisation scene of the Boston area and beyond. None of them had been to Evil Clown Headquarters previously. I always enjoy when people come to my home studio for the first time. The set up of the extensive percussion equipment, the large number of my horns, and the 8 camera video mix is very rare and inevitably a great deal of fun for everyone, but especially newbies...
This is a strong set as I expected, especially since everyone is still very excited to be able to play music again with others. Stay tuned for a steady stream of new sets over the next few months from Leap of Faith and all the other active Evil Clown ensembles."-David Peck, from the liner notes