This is the fifth incarnation of Calling Signals. Previous
members have been Paul Rutherford, Terje Isungset, Louis Moholo, Hasse
Poulsen, TonyMarsh and Eivin One Pedersen. Besides the 1996 recording
on Loose Torque, there are two recordings available from FMR.
The guest musician in the 2008 version of the group is a man whose shirts
often match his looping, colourful style. Gentleman geezer, 'The Bald
Soprano' the inimitable Lol Coxhill. I've played in many different situations
with Lol, from John Steven's big bands to a New Orleans style trio with
Roger Turner, from Mike Cooper's Hawaiian group to Lol's own Before My
Time and it's always been a pleasure listening to him negotiate his own
unique path through any music that he's involved with - and I've seen
the old TV clip of him playing tenor sax on 'Walkin The Dog' with Rufus
Thomas.
While Calling Signals were in Birmingham, we found time to rummage around
for a couple of hours in my old haunt, The Diskery, a shop that still
specialises in Vinyl. I struck lucky with a recording of Jazz Reunion
with Pee Wee Russell and Coleman Hawkins. Lol was quite envious, until
he remembered that he probably had it lurking somewhere in his collection.
I have always thought that there is something of Pee Wee in Lol's playing,
the suprises, the wit and the nod to tradition, but he remains the one
and only...Nick Stephens
A massively enjoyable set - for which don't read 'lightweight'. Radical
trad. Philip Clark - The Wire
The music is closer to free improvisation than to real free jazz, avoiding
anything close to repetitive patterns in rhythm and melody, but focusing
completely on the sound interaction between the musicians. The end result
is can be expected by such seasoned artists : clashes of ideas bouncing
around, sometimes harsh, sometimes remarkably gentle, full of in-the-moment
intensity and drive. Spread over two pieces, one eleven minutes, the other
fourty-three, you're part of a musical universe of a strange intensity,
little notes, fierce intensity, rapid-fire percussion, raw intensity,
gut-piercing bowing sounds, birds dialoguing, howling tones, sweet tones,
dense intensity, plaintive tones, physical intensity, squeezing distress
out of horns, hitting anger out of anything, pulling warmth out of strings,
drama, emotion, just music, unbound. Stef-Free Jazz
http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/2009/10/calling-signals-08-from-cafe-oto-loose.html
... evolves with the brevity of a multi-episode, TV mini series. Ken
Waxman - Jazz Word
L’année dernière, Lol Coxhill au soprano et Paal
Nilssen-Love à la batterie prenaient à leur tour place aux
côtés de Stephens et Gjerstad. En guise d’échauffement,
onze minutes d’une déconstruction concentrée et toujours
intense sur laquelle Stephens incite de ses graves le soprano, l’alto
ou la clarinette basse, à en découdre.
Pendant près de trois quarts d’heure, le quartette met ensuite
en lumière une clarinette hallucinée puis les tensions du
duo Stephens / Nilssen-Love. Au soprano, Gjerstad profite alors d’une
allure renforcée pour confectionner en autiste des guirlandes d’oiseaux
querelleurs qu’il abandonnera pour rejoindre Coxhill et apposer
avec lui des notes que l’un et l’autre voudront plus longues,
comme pour panser les séquelles de leur collaboration effervescente
au sein de ce Calling Signals là (08), à la hauteur des
incarnations à l'avoir précédé.
Guillaume Belhomme © Le son du grisli
The reed duo reaches several peaks of invention through safety-jeopardizing
intersections that systematically repay the inquisitive listener’s
longing for mettlesome improvisational consanguinity. Stephens applies
uncompromising rewordings during concentrated low-frequency surveillances
on the proceedings, Nilssen-Love fights the imprisonment of a groove and
the obviousness of swing with his entire forces. The quieter sections
are even richer in aurally gratifying reflections and top-quality reciprocation
of imaginative intents. Massimo Ricci - Touching
Extremes
See full review at http://touchingextremes.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/loose-torque-quintet
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