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LP
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TROST 263LP
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A cross-generational summit between the legendary pianist Marilyn Crispell (member of the Anthony Braxton Quartet and Reggie Workman Ensemble) and Midwest improvising trio of bass clarinetist Jason Stein, bassist Damon Smith, and drummer Adam Shead delivers all the range and expressivity one would expect from such seasoned players. The concert captured on Live at the Hungry Brain moves organically from searing free jazz to contemplative, lyrical balladry, all of conceived in the urgency of the moment and revealing a long-ranging, intricate approach to free improvisation. By its very nature any time a working ensemble, even one fully devoted to improvised music, is joined by another musician its modus operandi can't help by change. While no performance the trio of Chicago bass clarinetist, drummer Adam Shead, and St. Louis bassist Damon Smith has ever been quite the same, since forming in 2021 the trio had forged a tight bond and developed a highly effective approach informed by fundamental elements of jazz tradition and a fiery desire to create anew with every gathering. On the other hand, the art of improvisation has always thrived upon new input, novel challenges, and changing circumstances. This performance is a sterling multi-generational project that uses instant communication to bridge experiences. Crispell has always worked with a wide array of collaborators, regularly embracing partnerships with musicians decades younger than her. Like Crispell, the members of the trio have their unique influences and sweet spots, but the act of spontaneous creation bridges any such differences. In June of 2023 the musicians gathered for a studio session along with performances in Madison, Wisconsin, and subsequently, in Chicago, where the group recorded Live at the Hungry Brain. While spiraling horn, the studio session releases in 2024 leaned toward shorter excursions built around a small array of gambits and ideas, the remarkable live performances captured two long-form pieces where the ensemble had the space and time to spread out and dig in. The interactions spin in multiple directions, leading the trio to occasionally veer a bit closer to the deeply lyric post-Coltrane wanderlust Crispell thrives within, unspooling gorgeously dynamic streams of tender melody. The music is given fierce propulsion, with Smith and Shead generating churning, kinetic energy. In some ways it's Stein that binds everything together, his endlessly fluid playing retaining an equanimity through serenity and chaos.
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