Richard Grossman

[Steve Reynolds]

thought I would post my comments here that I posted elsewhere as I do think some of you would really enjoy this recording:

on Nine Winds

recorded live 10/1 & 10/2, 1989

with:

Vinny Golia: sopranino & soprano saxophones, bass clarinet

John Carter: clarinet

Ken Filiano: bass

Alex Cline: drums

the leader is on piano

ok - have had this for years - Jon Abbey mentioned it in a thread recently - don't think it has really ever been discussed much (if at all?) on the boards.

Played it late last night (actually early morning) *after* AMM's Allentown - and this is not always an easy transition for me (and I imagine some others) as AMM's music is so foreign and sometimes desolte that it oftne takes me time and even effort to transition into and out of it's space.

recording starts off with a fully improvised ten minute trio piece of bass clarinet, clarinet & piano which is nice with some nice interplay btween the two horns. On to the aptly titled "A Hard Act to Follow" with a nebulous theme by Golia that is hinted at towards the beginning and nore directly driven home at the end - in between the band members really start to gel and the combination of Golia's sopranino and Carter's clarinet (not in unison) over aand sometimes with the rhythm teams makes for invigorating listening. Cline impresses throughlout and Filiano finds a happy medium between Guy type aggression and virtuosity and a more melodic approach ala Mark Helias or Michael Formanek. Then to the centerpiece, the long (30+ minutes) "Everything Else is Away" which is a group of overlapping unaccompanied solos by all members of the group followed by what amounts to be a 8 or 9 minute group improvisation - and that's about what is siad on the liners - sounds pretty rote, eh? - well well - stunning playing from all - Golia's soprano - man is he a undervalued dude? I only have 4 or 5 of his recordings - I'm in the fucking dark - Cline - pretty amazing - and then we hear the genius of Dr. John Carter - my wife is stunned at the perfection - perfection of complete and utter orginally and beauty - perfect throughout the full and unknown range of the horn

last piece (again fully improvised as is 98% of this record save for the scant Golia them during the second track) is a bustling grooving workout that pulls the whole thing together grandly

my thoughts go out to the late Richard Grossman who it seems at the end of his life, was at least able a few times get down on record, the magic that came from those fingers (see the 2 great hat discs with Filiano & Cline) as well as get one of the three concerts the above quintet played recorded and saved for lucky people like us.

[Chuck Nessa]

Haven't played it in years. Didn't leave much of an impression then but I'll give it another go.

[Steve Reynolds]

clem - you be my blood brother, I think

preach it, dude

only have the 2 hat trios - no record player here...

[relyles]

I had the one of the Hat trios. I listened to it once. Admittedly it was not a very attentive listen, but the disc did not make much of an impression on me at the time. I think I ended up trading it in. That does not necessarily mean I thought it was a bad disc, it just did not immediately appeal to me on first listen and did not strike me as something I would go back to open.

The personnel on this disc (in particular John Carter) makes me consider giveing Grossman another try.