WILLIAM HOOKER – Earth's Orbit (NBLP 10/11 / Numbered / 2LP-2010)

Label: NoBusiness Records – NBLP 10/11
Format: 2 x Vinyl, Limited edition [hand-written number] of 500 records
Country: Lithuania / Released: 2010
Style: Free Jazz
Bliss (east): 25th March, 2007 at The Stone, New York City.
Bliss (west): 20th July, 2009 at The Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco, California.
Mastered By – Paul Zinman
Recorded By – Robert O'Haire (tracks: A1 to B2), Weasel Walter (tracks: C, D)
Design – Oskaras Anosovas
Co-producer – Valerij Anosov
Producer – William Hooker
Executive-Producer – Danas Mikailionis
Composed By – William Hooker
Printed By – UAB "Garsu Pasaulis"
Records made in Germany

BLISS (EAST)
side 1:

A  -  Chronofiles>
        Tensegrity>
        Tetrahedron .................................................................................................. 20:59

side 2:
B1 - Streamlined Unit ........................................................................................... 11:29
B2 - 4d To Dymaxion ............................................................................................ 11:14

Personnel:
William Hooker – drums
Darius Jones – alto saxophone
Adam Lane – bass

BLISS (WEST)
side 3:
C  -  Tensegrity (4d) – Part 1 ................................................................................ 19:50

side 4:
D  -  Tensegrity (4d) – Part 2 ................................................................................ 19:24

Personnel:
William Hooker – drums
Aaron Bennett – tenor saxophone
Weasel Walter – guitar
Damon Smith – bass

Hooker leads from the front on both discs, molding and shaping the flow with his finely honed, almost orchestral sense of sound placement, density and dynamics imparting form and purpose to even the freest moments. Hooker's compositional frameworks are slight, acting as signposts rather than routemaps, signaling direction but not the precise means to reach the destination. As a consequence frequent daredevil diversions are unpredictable and rewarding.

Free jazz drummer William Hooker has led and participated in some very interesting ensembles during his lengthy career on the free jazz scene, none more so than the fascinating and exciting group assembled for this recording. The first part of this limited edition LP set is a suite entitled "Bliss (east)" with Hooker on drums, Darius Jones on alto sax and Adam Lane on bass. This is a very powerful performance recorded at The Stone in New York City in 2007. The group makes for a lean and powerful trio with Hooker's free ranging drums and Lane's rock solid and dependable bass making a perfect launching pad for Jones's extraordinary saxophone flight. Jones has a raw and thrilling tone on his instrument and the same energy that he brought to his solo album Man'ish Boy and the collective Little Women is on display here. With the immediate and caustic tone of the saxophone combined the elastic bass and ever shifting drums, tracks like the lengthy "Chronofiles" develop a powerful and visceral presence that is continually compelling.

The second section entitled "Bliss (west)" has a different band with Hooker on drums, Aaron Bennett on tenor saxophone, Weasel Walter on guitar, and Damon Smith on bass. At nearly 40 minutes in length, the two part "Tensegrity(4d)" is a wild and thrilling ride. The addition of Walter makes for a more vividly textured recording and the live audience at The Hemlock Tavern, San Francisco is deeply engaged and supportive of the band. The performance builds to a very exciting and dramatic conclusion, the all the musicians locked in and driving to the finish. This was a very exciting and enjoyable album, free jazz fans with a functioning turntable are advised to pick up a copy before they disappear. Hopefully there will be a digital version soon, so that the this music can get the wider audience it deserves.

(Tim Niland - Jazz and Blues Blog)

If you find it, buy this album!

WOLFGANG FUCHS / JEROME BRYERTON / DAMON SMITH – Three October Meetings (2001)

Label: Balance Point Acoustics – bpa 003
Format: CD, Album; Country: US - Released: 2002
Style: Free Improvisation
Tracks 1-7 studio recordings 10/19/01 in Emeryville, Ca 
Tracks 8-11 live recordings 10/17/01 at Tuva Space in Berkeley, Ca 
Track 12 live rec. 10/18/01 at the Luggage Store Gallery in San Francisco, Ca
Mastered by Scott R. Looney
Photos by Edgar Alan Brightbill
Cover artwork by Max Neumann, 2001 (200 x 160 cm)
Layout & graphic design: Carol Genetti (Noodlemeister design)
Produced by Jerome Bryerton

Culled from three dates last October, two live and one in the studio, "Three October Meetings" features the King Übü of clarinets and saxophones, Wolfgang Fuchs, and Chicago's outstanding Jerome Bryerton on percussion. It's a total triumph: the turn-on-a-dime reactivity of his younger sparring partners pushes Fuchs to deliver some of his best work for years. Check this out.

For listeners who do not enjoy freely improvised music or 'instant compositions', this release may prove to be a difficult experience. The sounds are based around colors, moods and textures, rather than melodic lines or avant wailing. As such it is very demanding of ones attention (this is not background music). Those who enjoy free improv or have a curious ear may find themselves rewarded by these improvisers who clearly enjoy working together on their collective expressions.

Three October meetings is the third release on bassist Damon Smith's Balance Point Acoustics label. These three musicians met on three occasions in the Bay Area during October of 2001. The disc consists of two live performance s on consecutive days followed by a single studio encounter, which although last in time is the first music heard. What is noteworthy is that these musicians all hail from different geological locations; Fuchs is based in Berlin, Bryerton in Chicago and Smith in the Bay Area. While they may originate from different parts of the world, their work here is in harmony, as the focus of the music is on the manner in which silence is used in conjunction with free improvisation. Much of the music contains tension akin to an impending storm, which at times proves to be a demanding task. Some may view the music here as too abstract, wondering when more melodic or flowing lines will emerge, but thats really the point: the music is about using silence and space and the way these three musicians exploit these organic conceptions.

Meeting Three begins the album with seven relatively short vignettes, each capturing a mood or feeling they generally dark with much of the focus on rhythmic sounds that jump around the surface. Fuchs emits disparate tones from his bass and contrabass clarinets and sopranino saxophoness in order to offer variance. They range from short blasts, to car horn honks, to bubbling sopranino squeeks to low rumbling, simmering bass clarinet reflections that sound like the hum of assembly line machines. Such contributions inspire both Smith and Bryerton. Smith's bass technique utilizes a range of arco lines to percussive scraping and hand plucked string notes. What is particularly engaging is to listen to the interaction between Fuchs clarinets and Smith's techniques, which constantly play off of one another. Perhaps it is my drum/percussion bias, but the real stand out here is Bryerton. Because the music is very percussive Bryerton really shines. Bryerton's approach suggests the influence of the Oxely/Lytton/Lovens axis, driven by the manipulation of a variety esoteric, multi-ethnic percussion as well as the exploration of the sound of an arco against his cymbals. Meeting One and Meeting Two feature lengthier explorations, perhaps showing works in progress. these live performances suggest that the musicians were getting to know one another's ideas and boundaries. As above, the music is similar in that what is particularly engaging is listening to Bryerton navigate his way around the textures of his instruments and as a counterpoint to the dialogs between Smith and Fuchs. Bryerton mixes away like scientist, a little of this and a little of that.

This music is not for the weak hearted and certainly not everyone's cup of tea. That is fine of course, as this is a challenging recording, calling for focused listening. this recording demonstrates that these musicians have a rapport one that must have been fascinating to witness live.

Reviewed by: JAY COLLINS, Cadence



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