010
Desiring-Machines
Is Heaven Secret?
Jim Baker - ARP synth, piano
Brahm Fetterman - percussion
Paul Hartsaw - saxes
Anton Hatwich - bass
01 - The Lucky Reckoners
02 - Shades of Duns Scotus!
03 - Activity Circling in Closed Paths
04 - Is Heaven Secret? So is Hell.
05 - Eleatic Riddles
06 - Soley of Peripherally Afferent N
listen
07 - Yet upon Awakening, We Remember
08 - Perception & Execution
09 - Epicritical Modalities Map
10 - A Meaning of In-Between
11 - TPE (Temporal Propositional Expression)
listen
12 - Cycle of Scansion
13 - Heterarchy of Values
Total: (74:07)
Recorded @ Semaphore Studio, Chicago IL
05/06/05
REVIEWS
April 2006
Downtown Music Gallery Newsletter, NY
by BRUCE LEE GALLANTER
One of the great things about DMG's free Sunday
in-store performance series is when even I am knocked out by some local
or traveling musicians that I know little about.
This past Sunday (4/23/06) was one such set.
It featured Clifton Hyde on guitar & mandolin,
Paul Hartsaw on soprano & tenor saxes plus a fine percussionist and
another guest saxist.
The improvisations were pretty far "out" and certainly blew
the minds of those in attendance. I know of Clifton, since he has become
a customer and friend of the store. The set sounded more like Euro-style
free/improv, focused and well done. Chicago based saxist, Paul Hartsaw,
really shined.
Which brings us to this quartet CD, recorded in
a Chicago studio just one year ago. The only musician I know here is Jim
Baker, who has worked with Ken Vandermark and other Chicago players. Baker's
ancient ARP synth has an older sold, somewhat like Sun Ra's otherworldly
synth excursions. The synth and Paul's saxes work well together swirling
around one another like busy bees buzzing around the hive. The bassist
and drummer also work well together, spinning in waves when not being
more minimal. What I dig about this is that this quartet sounds like they
are not coming from the jazz or blues tradition, yet their improvisations
are still fresh and creative and free of cliches. When Jim switches to
piano on "Is Heaven Secret?", it moves closer to free/jazz,
with the quartet spiraling furiously together. I like when they
way they play those fractured rhythms on "Eleatic Riddles",
balancing some of the more dense and intense sections. In a blindfold
test, I would probably guess that this was some of the better (known)
free improvisers from England or the rest of Europe. Certainly a compliment
to these lesser-known greats.
