Michael Zerang - Fred Lonberg-Holm - John Butcher

Tincture

The cello adds a unique dimension to the trio performance. Lonberg-Holm's zesty arco spirals mold perfectly with the sharp tonality from Butcher's tenor to create a balanced soundscape steeped in intensity. With the deeply hued percussion of Zerang providing fuel, the trio hits peaks of energy where they sing out freely and exuberantly. The program opens and closes with extended trecks into the land of the unknown, while three shorter but equally robust offerings are sandwiched in between.

Butcher's distinguishable reed quality is a dominant force. He spews out volumes of brittle improvisations using circular breathing and total embouchure control to produce an abrupt staccato sound that separates him from most other tenor players. On soprano saxophone, Butcher generates extremely high frequencies by again exercising amazing control of his lip muscles. On both instruments, the musicality of his style is never lost in abstractness.

Lonberg-Holm goes on a tear on this session. He zealously strokes the cello as Butcher hits the apex of stimulation, and then the cellist calms the waters with soft images of imaginative character. As with Butcher, Lonberg-Holm often makes crisp runs at the strings, but he alters his attack by also injecting long lines of sustained fluidity.

The contributions from Zerang are very much in keeping with this scenario. Zerang uses various forms of percussion to complement this celebration. Ringing bells, clanging cymbals, and exotic sounding chimes all factor into the ambience of the pieces. Zerang also opens up his drums regularly to cause instant combustion. The recording is a communal experience where three musicians interact in spontaneous collectivity with only minimal space allotted for soloing. They remain on the same wavelength for the duration of this exhilarating encounter.

© Frank Rubolino/Cadence