Evan Parker / John Stevens, Corner to Corner
Alfred 23 Harth, POPendingEYE
Reviewed by Scot Hacker
One of the first things you notice in the arrangement of track titles on (1) is the encoded declaration of a physical law: "The angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection." The meanings of the other track titles fall into place from there -- this is to be an album about the behavior of objects in space. From start to finish there is a sense of science and interaction, of causality and response. Parker and Stevens' universe is not a wholly Newtonian one, however; there are enough chaotic variables in the mix to generate natural patterns. Like the weather, elements behave according to rules, but the equations are still incalculable.Stevens' pared down kit includes no bass drum, two hi-hats, and a child's snare. Parker's horn is closely miked, and all occurs in a small room with very tight acoustics. Parker seems to be playing out a lot of Dolphy here, though probably not intentionally. Stevens plays without flourish or extravagance, just delineating the space with simple, highly resonant pats and clicks, or sometimes a small thunder. An intuitive awareness of one another's intentions is gilded by over a quarter- century of cooperation (the two were working together in the Spontaneous Music Ensemble as early as 1966). This mutual awareness is not merely a bonus -- it is necessary in the scope of this particular recording to ensure the lightning quick response times which give "Corner to Corner" its meaning as a concept project.
My only complaint would have to be an overarching homogeneity throughout the disc (too often the unfortunate side-effect of totally free improv). Each track achieves pretty much the same flavor, and though this flavor is mighty tasty, more variance of tempii and dynamics would have resulted ultimately in a more interesting listen. Still, this recording is a very successful endeavor with enough depth to last a hundred listens.
(2) Although the quality of Harth's work under his own name has been marred by a number of half-baked engagements, this finds him settled in the midst of musicians well-suited to his peculiar brand of intellectual-cum-orgasmic outpourings. His bandmates here fully appreciate and actualize Harth's vision of a project which is as much collage as it is composition. Harth pulls in elements from sources as diverse as bop and free, neo-abstraction and East Coast Hot. Somehow these seemingly contradictory forces wind up complementing one another rather than cancelling each other out, although at times the blend gets excessively heady.
Nabatov stands out as executor of stability, and is often heard laying down chordal foundations closer to Scelsi than to anything in the jazz realm, bringing up the question of how widely separated avant classical and experimental jazz really are. When unleashed, Nabatov can surge like Pullen or fly like Crispell. Rek is afforded few places to really demonstrate his ability, being consigned for the most part to supporting roles, usually either walking or thrumming out chords. When he does come forth, as in the remarkable duet with Tarasov midway through the second track, he shines as a beacon of fluid versatility and broad ideas. I would like to have heard more of him up front on this date.
Tarasov is a legend unto himself, and brings his finely tuned sense of placement and perspective to the meeting. To my ears, his most expressive passage comes in the form of an extended triangle solo. By simply ringing and damping the metal in deceptively simple patterns, he is able to evoke the poetic essence of the entire composition with a single note.
Harth has apparently been growing his tone to meet the demands of his evolving approach. This shows in both its breadth and its moderation. In all the important ways, he has become far less self-consciously arty than in younger days.
Session Details:
Evan Parker / John Stevens, Corner to Corner, Ogun 005Corner to Corner / Rubber / Angles / Incidence / Reflections / Acute / Each\Other. 61:25.
Parker, ss; Stevens, d, perc, tpt. Rec. 6/8/93, London.
Alfred 23 Harth, POPendingEYE Free Flow 0493
1st2nd3rd&4th / BukzokWestWostokSude. 58:56.
Harth, ts, bcl; Simon Nabatov, p; Vitold Rek, b; Vladimir Tarasov, d, perc. Rec. live 12/5/92, Frankfurt.
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