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"HiGH ▀ iNTELLiGeNCE tRoLLS"
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a r t i s t : Mujician
t i t l e : Spacetime
d a t e : 2002
l a b e l : Cuneiform
g e n r e : Jazz
r l s. d a t e : Aug-2004
t r a c k s : 15
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 123,6 MB
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BBC Jazz Review
The Mujician quartet has had the same personnel for close to
fifteen years -- one reason why they're consistently able to
deliver on their demanding form of free improv, which is done
totally without a net. No charts, no prearranged chords or
keys, no initial rhythmic pulse and no set order of
performance. Someone supplies an initial piano arpeggio, a
cymbal crash, a tenor honk, whatever.... and then the music
just takes off, unfolding in accord with the group's collective
will.
Fans of traditional jazz often regard such methodologies as
metaphorically equivalent to playing with one hand tied behind
the back -- a gratuitous, unnecessary challenge -- but in fact
it's a way of keeping things fresh, of continuing to surprise
and inspire your fellow musicians, while sharing musical
journeys with the listener where every note is a step into the
unknown. Granted, no one is going to start humming a typical
Mujician piece after a few spins, but neither is Mujician's
music going to induce a state of numbed familiarity after three
or four minutes of exposure. As a listener, it's mainly a
matter of what you're looking for -- the comfortable,
well-trodden path, or challenging, open-ended exploration.
This latest Mujician release (their fifth on Cuneiform) is a
bit of a departure for the group, as it consists of fifteen
relatively short pieces, divided into two broad sections. Their
earlier recordings generally feature much longer pieces, which
develop at a different pace, often building slowly to one or
two crescendos. The shorter improvisations on this CD seem to
give the music a greater number of shapes, some which are
altogether leisurely and lyrical, some full-tilt almost from
start to finish, and some with a dramatic ebb and flow. The
group's interaction is nothing short of preternatural, and it
sometimes seems scarcely credible that Mujician is not working
from scores or at least pre-arranged structures.
Drummer Tony Levin and bassist Phil Rogers have some nice solo
spots, and typically add textures and colors more than a steady
pulse. Group members frequently pair up or operate as impromptu
trios; the music is fluid and dynamic, cycling through a wide
range of textures and emotional colours Pianist Keith Tippett
and saxman Paul Dunmall are prominent, of course, but perhaps a
little less aggressive than on some previous dates. Tippett
uses a prepared piano on a number of tracks, sometimes coaxing
harpsichord-like timbres from it, and sometimes producing
sounds that are decidedly more eerie. Dunmall logs in some
substantial time on his "second" horn, the soprano, and
displays a wonderfully delicate touch and sensibility. But he
also adopts a more fervent mode at times, giving voice to
swirling ululations and ecstatic cries. And when he drops down
to his tenor -- as he does on several pieces -- he can resemble
a certifiable force of nature.
As a group, Mujician can roar or sizzle when they have a mind
to -- but energy music is only one of the many bases they touch
on this fine recording.
Reviewer: Bill Tilland
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01-Spacetime part 1 [02:10]
02-Spacetime part 2 [04:18]
03-Spacetime part 3 [03:44]
04-Spacetime part 4 [05:11]
05-Spacetime part 5 [01:54]
06-Spacetime part 6 [07:56]
07-Spacetime part 7 [07:02]
08-Exquisitely Woven Spiritual Communication part 1 [02:38]
09-Exquisitely Woven Spiritual Communication part 2 [09:19]
10-Exquisitely Woven Spiritual Communication part 3 [02:01]
11-Exquisitely Woven Spiritual Communication part 4 [08:14]
12-Exquisitely Woven Spiritual Communication part 5 [01:14]
13-Exquisitely Woven Spiritual Communication part 6 [05:36]
14-Exquisitely Woven Spiritual Communication part 7 [07:02]
15-Exquisitely Woven Spiritual Communication part 8 [04:17]
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72:36 min
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