The Difference Between A Fish by Michel Doneda - Urs Leimgruber - Keith Rowe - jazzreview.com

29 Jul

The Difference Between A Fish by Michel Doneda - Urs Leimgruber - Keith Rowe

Written by Glenn Astarita
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This production is an appropriately coordinated extravaganza featuring three top-flight European improvisers. As the influential British, avant-garde guitarist and EFX wizard, Keith Rowe coalesces with saxophonists Urs Leimgruber (Switzerland) and Michel Doneda (France.) The program is divided into two lengthy pieces. On "The First Part," the trio conjures up scenarios that might be akin to trekking through an Egyptian pyramid, complete with dark passageways amid an element of mysticism. The saxophonists generally improvise within the upper registers; awash with split tones and minimalist type movements. As Rowe - using some form of electronics - implements a steely edged drone, serving as an unwavering backdrop for his associates’ gradually climactic exchanges.

On "Third Part (track two)," the musicians convey a quietly unsettling sequence of interlocking movements, where the background is just as significant as the foreground. Here, the artists aim skyward in an unassuming sort of way, while embarking upon a descending flow. With this piece, Rowe’s EFX manipulations are restrained and subliminal but analogously important to the grand scheme of things, especially when taken as a whole. Lucid imagery prevails throughout, as the band playfully degenerates matters into a shallow pit. A fascinating affair, it is....

Additional Info

Artist / Group Name: Michel Doneda - Urs Leimgruber - Keith Rowe
CD Title: The Difference Between A Fish
Genre: Free Jazz / Avante Garde
Year Released: 2003
Record Label: Potlatch
Tracks: The First Part, The Third Part
Musicians: Michel Doneda (soprano saxophone), Urs Leimgruber (tenor & soprano saxophones), Keith Rowe (guitar & electronics)
Label Website: http://www.potlatch.fr
Rating: Three Stars