The 3-headed monster Khimaira--a lion head in front, a goat head at its back and a snake head at its tail--is rendered by the transatlantic trio of NY saxophonist Chris Pitsiokos, Portuguese trumpeter Susana Santos Silva and Swedish bassist Torbjourn Zetterberg, using profound technique, snarling interaction and contemplative patience to coax the beast in masterful interplay.
Format: CD Condition: New Released: 2022 Country: USA Packaging: Cardboard Gatefold Recorded at Khimaira, in Stockholm, Sweden, on june 4th, 2018, by Torbjorn Zetterberg.
"Khimaira is a three headed monster. It has a lion head in front, a wild goat head on it's back and a snake head at the end of it's tail. It is the offspring of Echidna, the mother of all monsters. The group collaborates to produce eerie organic sounds, howling cries, whispered hums, disturbing wailing, shrieks that die off and reimerge with an intense fluidity. Yet there is an architecture under-girding the improvisations that's only discernible in its outline."-Relative Pitch
"Here we have the sophomore album by Child of Illusion - Clean Feed Records released the first one in 2018-contains one track, lasting 36 minutes of off-beat jazz combined with modern classical chamber music and, at times, a thumping bass. Three people in a studio called Khimaira, named after the mythical chimaera: the monster part lion, goat's head and a tail with at the end a snake's head. And I shouldn't forget the firebreathing part.
This trio (alto sax, trumpet and double bass) created a monster of a track - intense music with a lot going on. The three listen to each other, respond, discuss, get into an argument, and in the last part, all this is driven forward by that thumping bass. Then there's the makeup sex afterwards, or at least the excuses made by each one, and the atmosphere becomes quite tender.
All three musicians are highly accomplished players with a lot of experience. Susana Santos Silva on trumpet is a mainstay in the world of improvised music. My claim to (no) fame is that I shared the same stage with her in 2011. I aattended a jazz workshop led by Phil Ruttger. After the break, the Lama trio played. Chris Pitsiokos uses the alto saxophone to create timbres and sounds way beyond the cocktail jazz spectrum. And last but not least Torbjörn Zetterberg on double bass. His discography is quite impressive, including two duo recordings with Silva. Since there is only one track, there's no way to skip one. Attentive listening is required because a lot happens with these three excellent musicians in the blink of an eye, making this an essential release for anyone interested in what a classic quartet line-up can do when there are no drums invited."-MDS, Vital Weekly