Improvised woodwind music by two virtuosos who are steeped in Jazz, Classical and ethnic music. Recorded live at the Blue Mountain Gallery in New York City.

10 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: Free Jazz, JAZZ: Weird Jazz



Details:
From the liner notes, by one who was there!

by Neil Leonard

When first I heard that Tim Price and Sue Terry were playing at the Blue Mountain Gallery, I immediately thought this would be worth the four-hour drive from Boston to New York. I had heard unforgettable recordings of Tim on electric bassoon and knew that Sue was an equally strong musician. As the date drew near, I decided that this would be as compelling as any event I would find in the city; so off I went.

Arriving at the fourth floor gallery in the Chelsea, I found Sue and Tim standing before a palette of more than a dozen woodwinds, including several hand-made flutes, a bass clarinet, a soprano sax, and a bassoon. Minutes after I arrived, they launched into a set of whimsical, probing, personal duets. Sue's artful vibrato and arching sighs turned the passing of a single note or a simple melody into a transcendental moment. Timâs finger-popping riffs dissolved into thick furious lines, that wound down to end in an evocative whisper. Between pieces, they pointed out paintings that had inspired motifs and forms.

At one point, Sue made a casual comment about approaching spontaneous improvisation like cooking with what is left over in the refrigerator. While this was an inviting metaphor for the audience, I could not help but think that Sue and Tim are master improvisers who have spent their professional lives collecting the finest non-perishable ingredients and carefully testing them within a full continuum of American music. This duo only makes music to savor.

Tim introduced one piece as a tribute to Steve Lacy, Frank Lowe and Harold Ashby, âmusical lionsâ that had recently passed, but in fact, the entire event evidenced a deep devotion to the foundations of American improvised music. Sue and Tim are more than players; they are scholars who have traversed an entire arc of 20th century American music, from Bechet to Roland Kirk to Jimmy Lyons.

The journey to Blue Mountain Gallery was well worth the effort. That afternoon in Chelsea, Sue Terry and Tim Price traveled full-circle, revisiting the collective improvisation born in New Orleans with 21st century breadth, vigor, and wisdom. I thank them for keeping American music fresh and alive, and for contributing so much to this art form.

Hereâs to many more afternoons of duets!

Neil Leonard

Associate Professor,
Berklee College of Music

Co-owner of Gallery Artists Studio Projects (GASP) and curator of the GASP sonic arts series in Boston.