Search - Marshall Allen, Hamid Drake, Kidd Jordan :: All-Star Game

Poetry Without Words

Pharoah S. Wail | Inner Space | 12/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Why did I wait 3 years before getting around to buying this? This is the best cd I bought in 2006.



There's really not much to say. This cd is incredible. Marshall Allen - alto sax, Kidd Jordan - tenor sax, Alan Silva - bass, William Parker - bass, Hamid Drake - drums. Recorded 12/1/00, Boston, Ica Theater.



Forget titles and genres... "what sort of music do they play?". Words are pointless. These guys are painting the sounds of a collective hallucination. This disc is broken up into a handful of individual tracks but it really isn't. You press "play" when this is in the cd player and you're sucked into another dimension for 70-something minutes.



This is so far beyond jamming or riffing. These artists aren't decorating a vamp for 20 minutes at a time. They're telling stories, painting hallucinations and writing sonic poetry. Spontaneous Composition. This is worlds beyond the 5/28/99 Fred Anderson Trio show I've praised in past reviews.



I've never before heard a "super group" type of get-together that achieves anywhere near what this achieves. This is one of the most naked, honest, mind-altering cds I've ever heard.



This is a band of Kings. This is why I listen to music. I deeply thank each of them (and everyone behind-the-scenes who made this possible) for giving this to us."

Gulp

John C. Graham | toronto, ontario Canada | 03/11/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"


Heavy, heavy, heavy stuff!!!The more you listen, the more you hear. Two saxophones, two basses, and Hamid Drake on drums. Wow!

Very dense, very meaty. Spend some time with it and the pieces just sort of fit together. The aural landscape is constantly shifting and changing. One voice will dominate. And then another. And so on....Worth struggling with this one if you're a newcomer...again, the recording quality for this live show is excellent and the more I hear it the more I want to hear it. Get it now!!!"