Few, if any, large scale ensembles of recent memory can claim the antiquated but still apposite designation “All-Star” like this one can. Roscoe Mitchell’s recent Transatlantic Art Ensemble comes close and shares slight overlap, but as an assemblage of cross-generational European and American improvisers the latest incarnation of the venerable GUO takes the prize. Essentially an expansion of the 2002 re-launch group (also documented by Intakt), Brötzmann is no longer on board, but the trade-off is more than worth it. The trumpet teaming of Kenny Wheeler, Manfred Schoof and Axel Dörner alone is enough to make savvy improv listeners salivate profusely at the prospect of the sounds ensconced on disc. Brass outnumbers reeds two to one. Jeb Bishop and George Lewis are the American emissaries, an intriguing made practically transcendental by the addition of Paul Rutherford and Johannes Bauer to the ranks. The gatefold photo-op of all fifteen men in performance formation is an awesome sight. But enough fawning over the roster… even the most infallible orchestra can find itself compromised the source material isn’t up to snuff.
Fortunately, there’s no danger of that as bandleader Schlippenbach hand picks several of the finest numbers from the GUO archives. Dictated primarily by collective free improvisation, the title piece employs Schlippenbach Trio as catalyst and more specifically Evan Parker’s indefatigable and unmistakable tenor, which rides the rising and falling troughs generated by the orchestra en mass. These fanfare-shaped waves reach Kentonian magnitudes in the piece’s second half, eventually falling off into a largely unaccompanied solo for Lewis and closing on a pedal weighted rumble from the composer. Borrowed from GUO colleague Willem Breuker, “Out of the Burtons Songbooks” is more conventionally structured and relies on wildly shifting dynamics as well as almost comedic application of folk march forms. Grand anthemic gestures punctuate solo passages from several band members, which in turn lead to a bracing exchange between Mahall and Bauer. A circular Parker soprano sortie primes the audience for a tension-thick slow simmer close.
“Bavarian Calypso” and the Wheeler-derived “Nodago” join Schlippenbach’s “The Forge” as the shorter forays into variegated song forms. The first brings the cultural collision of its title to practice in humorous fashion and once again Breuker comes to mind as Bishop and Perowsky compete for woolliest, most unhinged improvisation. Wheeler and Rutherford devise diametric solos on the second, trumpet dealing in soaring ballad elegance while trombone doles out a nail-studded retort flanked by the drummers. Lacy’s “The Dumps” receives a rousing reading as well. Gerd Dudek leads the ensemble in an exploration of the highly hummable theme before slipping into several interludes of raucous polyphony and rounding off with one of Dörner’s raspberries meet broken air duct and tea kettle statements. It’s hard not to imagine the composer pleased by the tribute were he around to hear it. Four decades in the can for the GUO, if only we might be privy to four more!
~ Derek Taylor
Posted by derek on March 16, 2008 5:09 PMStrangely, my CD player reads Dorner's solo as opening "The Forge" rather than closing "The Dumps." Dang segues... great disc on all counts, though, and nice review there Derek!
Posted by: clifford at March 17, 2008 10:49 AMThanks, Cliff. That’s weird about the track sequencing, don’t know what the deal is there.
Hopefully the upcoming Swiss LJCO gig will see circulation on Intakt sooner rather than later. Killer line-up recently announced:
Barry Guy, bass, director
Irène Schweizer, piano
Evan Parker, reeds
Mats Gustafsson, reeds
Trevor Watts, reeds
Simon Picard, reeds
Pete McPhail, reeds
Conny Bauer, tmb
Johannes Bauer, tmb
Alan Tomlinson tmb
Henry Lowther, tpt
Herb Robertson, tpt
Rich Laughlin, tpt
Per Ake Holmlander, tuba
Phil Wachsmann, violin
Howard Riley, piano
Barre Phillips, bass
Paul Lytton, percussion
Lucas Niggli, percussion
Just my lil' two cents, I've really been enjoying this cd.
Posted by: Forbes at March 17, 2008 1:14 PMi asked jeb bishop how it felt to play with GUO and he goes, "oh, it was fun."
ha ha ha.
ww
Posted by: weasel walter at March 19, 2008 11:45 AMThis band needs a bass player.
Posted by: damon Smith at March 19, 2008 1:45 PMActually, I think Lytton & Lovens do a good job covering those bases (sorry).
Here’s Bishop on the bandstand w/ the GUO: Cool as a cucumber on the outside; giddy as a schoolgirl on the inside.
Lytton and Lovens do OK on this one, but the earlier one I didn't have that feeling.
Posted by: damon Smith at March 20, 2008 1:47 AMI'm in favor of them having some bass in the band too. Really dig some of the Globe Unity's with Buschi + Kowald on tandem basses (+ occasional Kowald tuba). For the last disc they did before the long hiatus they had Alan Silva...although he's not so into playing bass these days.
So who'd be the likely candidate? Peter Jacquemyn (sp)? John Edwards? I wouldn't mind hearing a certain d.smith in there...
That's funny about Bishop...when I first heard he was in the band I was thinking it'd be kinda like that for him. Good on him...
Posted by: Rob Cambre at March 20, 2008 7:23 AMSo who'd be the likely candidate? Peter Jacquemyn (sp)? John Edwards? I wouldn't mind hearing a certain d.smith in there...
Adam Lane?
Posted by: narew ramsh at March 20, 2008 8:56 AMI'd say Alan Silva, Barry Guy or Paul Rogers.
Posted by: damon Smith at March 21, 2008 7:16 AMGuy's got his own band, as does Synthi-Silva.
I think most of the reason that the GUO don't have a bassist is because the two previous candidates - who'd been in the group since its inception - are dead. I mean, really, how do you replace Kowald or the beloved Buschi?!
(just to clarify, I think Buschi's one of the greatest free bassists that ever lived, bar none, and I prefer his tone and attack to PK)
Posted by: clifford at March 21, 2008 10:17 PMSilva was in the band for a longtime, so that is why I suggest him.
Rogers has enough sound to mange and he played in the Schlippenbach quartet for a while.
Kowald and Buschi are not replaceable, but if they are going add horns like Rudi and Jeb, I think they can also find a bass player.
The first cd is a little thin in the bottom.
I nominate... Damond Smith and Peter Jacquemyn (good spelling, Rob). I've seen both working hard behind (in front?) Fred Van Hove last week and they made such a racket that they are certainly the natural candidates to the (double?) succession of PK, AS & BN. They are also the direct heirs of Peter Kowald and it was fun to listen to both in the same time because they don't share exactly the same part of the "heritage".
Posted by: PLM at March 31, 2008 4:37 AMwhile we're at it, i'm going to be the substitute drummer in GUO when lovens or lytton can't make it. none of these scandinavian wimps . . .
ww
Posted by: weasel walter at March 31, 2008 11:25 AMI don't think I'm alone in my willingess to part w/ a bucket full of ducats to see Weasel go mano y mano against Paal Nilssen-Love, Rich versus Krupa-style!
Posted by: derek at March 31, 2008 2:23 PMI think a meeting with Weasel and Kjell Nordeson is more imminent
I hope to do a Vibes/Bass/Drums trio with them one day.
Nilssen-Love is a great player, especially his own projects, but I think Kjell is way under-rated.
Where's Walto! (sorry, inside joke).
Posted by: derek at April 1, 2008 2:10 PMYeah, Kjell Nordeson rocks! He was slaying last December when he played in my town.
Posted by: Gerardo A at April 1, 2008 6:18 PMThe trio gig I saw in SF w/Kjell, Damon, and Biggi Vinkeloe was really great.
Posted by: Sarah Lockhart at April 1, 2008 9:27 PMOh dear
Peter Kowald left GUO 77 after a slight disagreement with Alex v S. I was in one of his last gig with the moniker Globe Unity in Brussels Plais des Beaux Arts. It was a Goethe Institut mammoth tour with the Globe Unity Special with Alex, Lovens, Parker Gerd Dudek, Kowald mainly tuba, Kenny Wheeler, Lacy, Mangelsdorff and Rutherford. The film about Joe Louis was projected on a giant screen. There were other groups on the tour : Contact Trio (see Japo vinyls), Manfred Schoof quintet with Michel Pilz, Ralf Hubner, Rainer Bruninghaus (see Japo lps), Irene Schweizer/ Rudiger Carl duo (Carl on tenor and longhaired), Albert Mangelsdorf quartet with Heinz Sauer, Gunter Lenz and Peter Giger ( fantastic drummer) and Gunther Christmann/ Detlev Schönenberg duo. That was one of the greatest mini festival of one evening from 5 PM to midnight that Brussels ever had.
I remember well Evan selling the 2 first Company lps and Lovens selling Was It Me ? We were frustrated because many of the Globe Unity members were on the same night and why a Special GUO when almost all the other regular members were there (Schoof, Pilz, Carl, Christmann and Sauer was sometimes in it) . Alan Silva went into the mix two years around 81/82.
The shame with Alan Silva's work with Alex is that Jost Gebers canceled the tape of once incredible concert of the Alex v S quartet Berlin 81 . Lovens issued a bad copy of the tape afterwards on a Po Torch double lp......... a big shame !!
For bass player in the GLOBE UNITY I vote for the one who will be the fave of Lovens and Alex ! Don't say !!
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