JOE MCPHEE — CIMPhonia 1998 Part 1 (review)

JOE MCPHEE — CIMPhonia 1998 Part 1 album cover Album · 1998 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
snobb
Session, recorded on this album, was planned as trio of two bassists and sax player Whitecage concert, organised by CIMP label, but spontanically it grew up to long studio recording of label's leading experimenting musicians (released later on two separate albums).

Bassists Dominic Duval and Peter Kowald (two from very top of world's improvising bassists list, among Barry Guy and Barry Phillips)are still main driving force of all recording, but very unpredictably music here is not fast, heavy,screamy or noisy. Differently from many and many albums coming from free jazz improvisers, this album represents mid-tempo, even lazy in moments very aerial music with deep velvet bass sound, almost ascetic drumming and thin impressionist layers of reeds.Both sax players (Joe McPhee on soprano and Mark Whitecage on alto)build very fragile aerial constructions over rhythmic basement with only occasional sound licks coming from trumpeter Paul Smoker and violinist David Prentice.

This album is more about silence than about noise, but mystically it sounds quite energetic,full of sensual nuances,atmospheres and moods. Not angry scream but mature philosophical beauty radiates from that music - how often we use word "beauty" speaking about improvisational jazz?

Great recording, requiring repeating listening.
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