Customer Reviews

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Slamming out of the starting gate with a huge burst of energy, the wall-of-percussion move on the first track setting the tone, continuing through the next tune "Take Refuge" (and you'd better!) with its swirling flute/sax/melodica sounds and the head-pounding bass of Harrison Bankhead, and steaming ahead without letup (save for its mysterious intro) on song number three, "Satya," this disc seems destined for hall-of-fame out-blowing.

But wait. Things change dramatically right around the seven-minute mark of "Satya," presaged by a slow winding down of the Dionysian ecstasies, morphing into a radically different mood, one of quite contemplation, or, one might say, spent energies. Gone are the sax wails, the drumming pyrotechnics, the jackhammer bass, replaced by little instruments and marvelously soothing sonorities. This radical musical transformation, quite without precedent in my hearing, must be heard to be believed. The only thing that comes anywhere near it is a move Egberto Gismonti makes on "Frevo" from his masterpiece, Sanfona.

This mesmeric soundscape continues through the next three tracks, "Portrait of Light," "Fertility Dance," and "From the Other Side," although things become increasingly cryptic and agitated as the music progresses. "The Tortoise" briefly reprises the former bombastic vibe, only to witness a return to faux-oriental sensibilities of nearly impenetrable inscrutability on the hugely evocative (and aptly titled) "Optimystic," followed by the bathed-in-eternal-light aura of "Serenity."

Rarest beauty and enlightened musical genius enfold the listener lucky enough to have encountered this entirely remarkable disc. As a Catholic Christian, I'm reminded of C. S. Lewis's comment (in a different context) in relation to this revelatory music: "It was by almost believing in the gods that I came to believe in God."

I cannot recommend this disc too highly.

This new band combines four of Chicago's most dynamic improvisers. Ed Wilkerson is well known as leader of 8 Bold Souls, and lays down a lot of lovely clarinet as well as saxophone here. Flautist Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble has put out several great cds, and her trio took the New York Vision Fest by storm in 2005. They roll out melody lines and bounce riffs off each other with great rapport. Harrison Bankhead on bass and Avreeyal Ra on percussion are masters who here lay down pretty straight grooves with interesting solo detours. Little instruments galore. Flavors of African and Asian folk music here and there. "Out there" improv at the highest artistic level, yet the combination of a basic underlying beat and the luscious colors of clarinet and flute keep it relatively accessible. This is really great music - some of the best of 2006!