Bass player and composer William Parker is a legendary free jazz player, whose explorations with different techniques and sounds over the years have produced thrilling musical results. On Lake Of Light he temporarily lays aside his trusty upright bass to team up with two visual artists and a drummer, who are all involved with playing a mystical instrument called the AquaSonic waterphone. Built by one Jackson Krall, it can be struck like a drum or bowed like a string instrument. The tones it produces (as its name suggests) ripple like stones being thrown into a pool of water, while elsewhere other ‘natural’ sounds such as wind and rain are introduced into the improvisation. On ‘Flexible Showers Of Sound’ the group's wild bowing summons up a lively sonic chorus that could be mistaken for a choir of humpbacked whales, while the title-track slows down to a trickle of ambient feedback that almost sounds like an electric rock drone. The closing ‘Action’ is just that, a high-energy explosion of percussive freedom and joy, where the versatility and artistry of Parker's waterphone experience is effectively demonstrated. For those still not convinced, imagine hearing Sun Ra's Arkestra playing their Strange Strings set at the bottom of the ocean, and Lake Of Light should suddenly start making sense