Description
“Freed of the responsibility for song structure, Vandermark can focus on being a soloist. His tenor (and the occasional clarinet) tone is liberated, and sounds quite liberating. With Taylor’s drums chasing Wiik’s hammering piano for the first three minutes of “What Is Is,” the saxophonist marches in response to the call. He sings the songs on this record, balanced and supported by Wiik and Taylor.
This trio also stabilizes this music without a bassist. The dynamic Taylor, best known for his work with the various Chicago Underground bands and the Exploding Star Orchestra, provides a constant energy here, maintaining a noisily free sound on “Fold” or supporting the abstractions of “Arborization” and “Permanent Sleeve (Walking Hand).” The session mixes the outward avant with some swinging bop-centered swing, even delving into {{Phillip Glass}|-like territory on Wiik’s “The Kreuzberg Variations,” building upon a repeating structure, only to be destroyed by entropy—sweet, free jazz entropy.” – Mark Corroto, All About Jazz, 2012