November Energy
Robert Carlberg | Seattle | 09/23/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Cuneiform keeps uncovering rare British big band jazz, and each one is a discovery. Harry Miller's Isipingo was an offshoot of Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath, and like BoB is mostly an excuse for a blow-off. Four extended (14-20 minute) pieces with minimal heads and tails and a lot of bloozy woozy soloing in between. Through it all Miller's standup bass keeps up a steady barrage of staccato notes. The largely-freeform result is maybe closer to Centipede than to Nucleus or Neil Ardley.
This 11/20/75 live recording by Radio Bremen is excellent as usual, with lovely pickup of a number of soloists, not easy to do with a live band onstage."