TwoRevolutions was recorded live in Detroit at the Bohemian National Home by pianist/conductor Thollem McDonas and his ensemble called BoxDeserter. This live, 2 song, near 80 minute set, features eight musicians performing free form, avant-garde jazz, mostly lengthy improvisations woven together, with the end result coming across as quite savage and dissonant at times. Fans of Ornette Coleman's 60's material, or even the modern day stylings of Taylor's Free Universe, will love these noisy and adventurous sonic explorations. While McDonas at times adds in plenty of majestic piano lines, it's the reed trio of Hasan Abdur-Razzaq, Michael Carey, and Marko Novachcoff that provides most of the excitement here, their dueling saxes and oboes squonking away like battling geese, with Joel Peterson's rumbling double bass more than reminding of the late, great, Charlie Mingus. You'll hear some occasional lecture/narration from Brad Duncan (the story behind this event deals with the Portuguese colonization of Africa and the eventual uprising centuries later), but for the most part this is all instrumental free-jazz. The first piece "OneAtHome" is the more chaotic of the two, offering up plenty of spontaneous combustion and wild, violent bursts, while "OneAbroad" takes plenty of time to unwind, starting off with almost an minimalistic approach before McDonas' tinkering piano lines and Kurt Prisbe's lazy drum fills slowly bring the rest of the musicians into play for some jarring explosions. If you are looking for the more melodic side of the jazz spectrum, TwoRevolutions certainly won't be your cup of tea, but if your taste runs deep for the avant-garde, then this will surely satisfy your hungry pallette.
Track Listing
1) OneAtHome (36:17)
2) OneAbroad (42:18)
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
