Evan Parker

Not many people can claim to have reinvented something, and no doubt Evan Parker would be the last to do so, but this release of his 1975 solo soprano saxophone recordings stands as one of the most breathtaking essays on the possibilities of the instrument ever recorded. What sets this music apart is the notion of presenting the full range of the instrument all at once and in one gesture. This is not a question of a chordal or multiphonic approach, rather a facility on the horn that juxtaposes the extremes of pitch, texture and attack in extraordinarily tight sequence. If a saxophone could be said to shred, this would be an example of it. This is not to say that Parker doesn't pay attention to moments of sustain and space, as his improvisations always pay close attention to the notion of composition. What we have here is a recording reflecting a close investigation of the horn by a young artist in full command of his technical facility, artistic curiosity and intellectual rigour. Magnificence!