Crystalline, contemplative improvisation
R. Hutchinson | a world ruled by fossil fuels and fossil minds | 11/12/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"AFTER APPLEBY is the second recording by the Parker/Guy/Lytton trio joined by pianist Marliyn Crispell -- their first was NATIVES AND ALIENS, a studio recording from 1997 also on Leo Records. AFTER APPLEBY breaks no new ground, but is another beautiful outing, a 2-disc set, one in the studio and one live at the Vortex. Evan Parker is heard on tenor more than usual here, his main horn being the soprano. And as before, there is much quiet, delicate playing -- whereas the sax/bass/drums trio is known for its lightning speed and intensity, adding Crispell to the mix results in slower playing with more space as the three veteran "natives" listen and make room for the "alien." If there is also some aging and mellowing going on in contrast to the ferocious music made by P/G/L in years past, it certainly does not diminish the precise and astonishing group interplay. There are moments when the volume, speed and intensity increase, though, make no mistake, and Crispell sounds more like Cecil Taylor.
The studio disc includes six short duets, with the players in various combinations, as well as two long quartet improvisations, "Blue Star Kachina" and "Where Heart Revive." The live disc contains one long improvisation, "Capnomantic Vortex," and a pretty closing number, "Fond Farewell," with a Crispell/Guy/Lytton trio. This is free improvisation at its finest, a superb representative of its genre by some of its masters."
An incomparable musical dimension
Archel | Sydney, Australia | 01/14/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This double-CD is a superb example of an incomparable musical dimension courtesy of four of the most virtuosic, forward-looking, creative and intense improvisers/composers alive: Evan Parker (soprano and alto saxophones), Marilyn Crispell (piano), Barry Guy (bass), Paul Lytton (percussion).I can't think of words that would do this music justice, which is very frustrating given its tragic lack of exposure and the lack of reviews of it (with the exception of the excellent review by autonomeous). The least I could do to increase its potential for greater exposure is to quote some passages from the superb liner notes by Steve Kulak, which are as fitting as I can imagine:"Evan Parker is one of the few players who can transport you inside their mind completely. His dazzling technique rides hard on the back of an elaborate sense of invention. He has changed the face of saxophone technique and saxophone music. His approach to music is intensely physical yet intellectually detailed, constantly challenging at every level. ......It is impossible not to be overwhelmed by the sheer force of what is going on here. You would need to have ears of steel and a heart of stone not to appreciate this extended flight into outer space. ...After Appleby is social engagement by four minds of equal stature sharing an equal commitment in an unequal world. They reinvent their instruments, from primal bursts to a thrilling harnessing of sound converted into a viable music so exciting and different that it virtually defies categorization. ... After Appleby, like Parker's 50th Birthday Concert, ... is music of such impressive focus and fearsome weight, that there is never any doubt as to the significance of the musical content. ...Parker is in great company. Guy and Lytton match him in every respect. The bonus is Crispell ... If anyone wanted an introduction to the most engaging, exploratory piano mind at work today, then the Crispell discography on Leo Records will satisfy ten times over. Here is a disciplined mastery reflected through a prism of songs impregnated with all manner of subliminal nuances. ...Welcome to Evan Parker's controlled fury. Welcome to life heard as music, an intimate source of sound, discipline and devotion swept along by a restless quest for the new to liquidate the old. ...Climb over the wall. Project yourself into the music, in a situation you are obliged to be present in. This is music of conversation, making audible a world that already exists. It is not commodity music made to a market demographic. Listening to Parker, Guy, Lytton and Crispell you regain consciousness and can feel your bones again. ...""
Track Listings (8) - Disc #1