Lawrence D. ‘Butch’ Morris: Possible Universe (Conduction 192)

Rating: ★★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

On Ka'a Davis (g)
Lawrence D. ‘Butch’ Morris (conductor)
Silvia Bolognesi (b)
David Murray (ts)
Jean-Paul Bourelly (g)
Greg Ward (as, ss)
Meg Montgomery (t)
Chad Taylor (d, mbira)
Harrison Bankhead (b)
Pasquale Innarella (as)
Evan Parker (ts)
Tony Cattano (tb)
Hamid Drake (membranophones, idiophones, v
Ricardo Pittau (t)
Joe Bowie (v, tb, perc)

Label:

Nu Bop BBR SA

June/2015

Catalogue Number:

Jazz 014

RecordDate:

2010

A lot of ink has been spilled about the originality of the late Morris' principle of conduction – the conducting process is predicated on improvisation so that the man holding the baton effectively plays the orchestra in real time – so it's easy to overlook just how beautiful the work can be. In this all-star orchestra, bolstered by the two tenor titans, David Murray and Evan Parker, there is a very perceptible sense of spontaneity in the performance, from the charmingly fluid rhythmic and metric character of the music to the unpredictable swirl of the melodies and harmonic layers that wrap around them. While the doubling of all the instruments produces a bulky, substantial ensemble sound it is anything but overly dense and the combination of Alan Silva's theremin-like synthesizer and Murray's upper register flutters imbues the music with a kind of tremulous siren's call on many tracks. The creation of sounds that are uncompromisingly intense, often unsettlingly so, is one of the signes particuliers of Morris' aesthetic and the daringly sustained chords that trail through ‘Possible Universe Part V1’ would probably inspire David Lynch to make a Triple Peaks. Having said that, there are also moments when the band sways into the most delicious of dance grooves, none more so than the bluesy South African flavour of ‘Possible Universe…Part V.’ Morris' status as a true adventurer in improvised music is recognised by those in the know but he really should have much greater kudos in the wider world.

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