Now living in Seattle but originally from the state of New York, Bisio has strong formative experiences in both free jazz (with Barbara Donald and Sonny Simmons among others) and contemporary classical music (with clarinetist Bill Smith and trombonist Stuart Dempster ). The liner notes of this recording also acknowledge the influence of David Izenzon and Henry Grimes, two bass players who were able to be true to the personality of the instrument while freeing it from any obvious support role. Bisio loves the sound of the bass, perfectly captured on this excellent recording. On two consecutive tracks his sound is the first to strike the ear, first with a driving, blues-drenched introduction to "Golden Blue" and then with a light, suspended, dreaming meditation, rich in harmonics, that opens "Give Up The Chair." These tunes are penned by two members of the quintet, viola player Jim Nolet and trumpeter Rob Blakeslee. Bisio seems to be a democratic leader; only three tracks out of seven are his own compositions, the others are given to the rest of the group. The musicians have very definite personalities, but this is acoustic improvised music firmly rooted in the line of Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. In it clarity and space are more important than energy alone, and the improvisations are every bit as important as the compositions. The melodies play an important role: in the composition dedicated to Henry Grimes the group quotes "Hi Fly" by Randy Weston: "Grimes was an high-flying guy", says Bisio. The record closes with a joyous celebration, "Legend, penned by drummer Pias, and even when the group wails at full force the music is not cluttered or compressed, every detail still clearly etched thanks to a recording that' s as musical as the group itself. Bisio, the leader, is heard throughout, propelling the music, but not highlighted, thus perfectly summing up his attitude: music first. ~ Francesco Martinelli, All Music Guide
Bob Ward (Mastering), Bob Nell (Piano), Rob Blakeslee (Cornet), Ed Pias (Drums), Gregory Downer (Design), Frank Tafuri (Photography), Frank Tafuri (Executive Producer), Michael Bisio (Bass), Rob Blakeslee (Flugelhorn), Frank Tafuri (Liner Notes), Jim Nolet (Viola), Rob Blakeslee (Trumpet), John Wilkes (Cover Photo), Doug Haire (Engineer)
