[AUM102/103] (DSW-ARC03) - 2-CD Set in deluxe 8-panel digipak, with liner notes by Steven Joerg and additional evocative imagery & photographs. // down to last copies..
David S. Ware: stritch (straight alto saxophone)
-&- tenor saxophone [on pieces #2 A-B and #6 A-B]
William Parker: bass
Warren Smith: drums
“The fluency and fluidity with which he rapidly unspools ideas is startling. Whether alone or joined by Parker and Smith, Ware unfurls long expository statements with a virtuosity and a mastery over phrasing, rhythm, and accent in ways that are exemplified by literary giants such as Thomas Pynchon. Breathtaking.” –Point of Departure
“A thing of pure joy, with moments of both gathering storm and meditative calm, rendered with technique and velocity that boggles the mind. A treasure trove of music – highly recommended.” –The Free Jazz Collective
“5 Stars. The music is always searching, but never lost. Clear lines of thought breaking into the paradox of beauty. The beauty of improvisation and the immense valley of emotions. Not just a concert, but a journey.” –All About Jazz
Live in New York, 2010 presents a tremendous one-night engagement by saxophone colossus David S. Ware and his latter day Trio in an intimate club setting – the Blue Note on October 4, 2010 [tracks 1–5 = Set One; tracks 6–12 = Set Two]. Featuring his perennially steadfast musical partner William Parker on bass, and equally incomparable Warren Smith on drums, they were celebrating the recent release of the studio album, Onecept. Having played an electrifying set at Vision Festival in June, this extended night in October was the third and final magnificent time on which this trio convened.
The two hour+ sets, with repast in-between, allowed Ware and fellow travelers to inhabit the space; afforded more time to stretch out and breathe with the music. As Ware was exclusively dealing with spontaneous forms during this period in his creative life, the six extended suites here were newly created on that night. None of these fantastic multi-track recordings have been previously released.
The additional highly distinctive aspect of this performance was Ware’s use of his Beuscher straight alto saxophone, or stritch, which features on four of the six pieces. While compositions featuring this instrument appear on three albums recorded & released in the last years before his passing, this recording is by a great measure the most extensive documentation that exists of David S. Ware on alto. Further to his absolute command & control, he brought forth Middle & Far Eastern sonorities on the instrument, which served his modus operandi of music as a transcendental experience very well indeed. The final pieces of each set here feature him on his trademark tenor, upon which he earned–and then some–his status as a saxophone colossus.
This is the third edition in the David S. Ware Archive Series, preceded by the Birth of a Being (Expanded) set and the Live in Sant’Anna Arresi, 2004 duo with Matthew Shipp. This set is manna for those who are already fans of his work, and a bountifully potent entry point for new converts.
Packaged in deluxe 8-panel digipak with liner notes by Ware’s longtime producer Steven Joerg, and artwork by Jeff Schlanger, musicWitness®
[ A note on the track "titles": During this last phase of his creative arc, David would give titles to compositions after listening to final mixes of the recordings. In his absence, AUM did not take latitude to do so, beyond the elemental. ]
1. #1 A - 15:21
2. #1 B - 14:26
3. #1 C - 06:42
4. #2 A - 17:19
5. #2 B - 09:04
6. #3 - 14:46
7. #4 A - 14:40
8. #4 B - 03:57
9. #4 C - 05:24
10. #5 - 10:30
11. #6 A - 08:37
12. #6 B - 08:43
with William Parker & Warren Smith;
© Gandharvasphere/Daswa (ASCAP)
Recorded live in performance at the Blue Note,
131 W 3rd Street, NYC on the night of October 4, 2010
Multi-track recording by Jimmy Katz
Mixed with & final mastering by Michael Marciano
at Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NYC
Produced by Steven Joerg