This continuous, hour-long set captures three big-hitters from the Big Apple, recorded live at The Stone, John Zorn’s East Village venue. While ostensibly coming from jazz – and helping to define the whole 1990s “downtown” scene that continues to exert a huge influence on up-and-coming jazzers on both sides of the Atlantic – each of these players has also struck out into choppier waters (Cline, for instance, is guitarist with Chicagoan alt. Rock band Wilco and has worked with Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore). So, it’s little surprise to find them here combining scalding free-skronk with brutal rock moves and even – on ‘Rescue Her’ – some chugging, Hawkwind-style riffage. But these aren’t boneheaded manoeuvres: there’s a fierce intelligence behind the complex arrangements, with Jim Black’s fractured virtuosity holding it all together. Imagine Neil Peart of prog-metallers Rush playing free-jazz and you’re getting close. It’s a big sound from three very slick and assured professionals who are still prepared to take risks.