I have reviewed many albums released by Greydisc over the years but am sure this is the first one I have ever been asked to write about which does not involve Kevin Kastning. Mind you, I have previously reviewed some of Carl’s collaborations with him but this time around we find Carl (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, bansuri) working with Chase Morrin (piano), Bruno Råberg (bass) and Gen Yoshimura (drums) and instead of coming from just one session this was recorded over a period of 11 days under the watchful ears of Mark Wingfield.
As one would expect given the label this has been released on, the players involved and the person mixing and mastering it, here we have an album full of adventure and play. Although Carl often takes the lead that is not always the case and there is plenty of room for everyone to take centre stage as they mix together different styles and compositional forms. Free form jazz is often at the base, but there is also the feeling that many of the structures have been at least lightly scored or rehearsed so we get some interplay which is more melodic than one might expect in this form. However, one never knows quite where the music is going to lead and, in that respect, Råberg has an incredibly important to play in that he is the one who keeps it all together so the others can move off at tangents, knowing there is solidity awaiting their return.
It is more melodic than can often be the case with Greydisc, yet still pushing what is expected of artists working in the avant garde, and consequently is a nice starting point for those too afraid to dip their toes into the strange and mysterious world of Greydisc.
Rating: 7/10
