Killer! This is an excellent free jazz album featuring Andrew Lamb (a.k.a The Black Lamb) on tenor saxophone, Warren Smith and Arkadijus Gotesmanas on percussion, and the album was recorded live in of October 2016 at the Vilnius Jazz Festival. The rhythmic foundations that the percussionists develop make for a fascinating foundation for Lamb's strong and strident saxophone tone. Lamb studied with the AACM before moving to New York City, and embarking on a successful career in the music and arts world. The album is broken down into three lengthy tracks, "The Sea of Modicum," "Kindred Spirits" and "The Angel of Lithuania." The music on each track develops in an appealingly organic fashion, with the drums and percussion of Smith and Gotesmanas developing a wide range of patterns and textures, beginning with soft feathering of their instruments on the side long title track, developing soft cymbal touches and a stealthy rhythmic structure which blooms into full force after a lengthy build up creating tension before Lamb finally enters on saxophone, blowing with force and conviction across the rumbling rhythm. They patiently develop an exciting and potent collective improvisation, with Lamb's arresting and raw saxophone gliding over and working within the percussive framework. He drops out at one point with the percussionists just simmering at a low boil, which leads into the second track. "Kindred Spirits" is an apt description for this trio, as Lamb inserts an urgent circular motif and the drummers crash into action making for a loud and bracing improvisation.
They are stretching the boundaries of the music in their own way that is personal and powerful, continuing a long tradition of exploration that goes back to the free jazz pioneers like Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler. The concluding track has patient hand percussion setting the pace, moving in waves, with Lamb not entering until halfway through the performance. His clarion call is met with crashes of cymbals heralding in the next phase in the improvisation. He moves through the scene, adding splashes of color and sound, leading to a solid conclusion. This album will be a limited edition LP release, and fans of free improvisation are urged to jump on it while supplies lasts.
