David S. Ware / Planetary Unknown – Live at Jazzfestival Saalfelden 2011

"Since having his kidney transplant a few years back David S. Ware has been playing as vibrantly and as powerfully as he ever has. With a stunning series of solo recordings and the cracking new combo Planetary Unknown, the sax dynamo is deep into a productive period right now. This live set consists of three long tracks filled with an incredibly tight, focused improvisatory vision from the leader. Planetary Unknown has group dynamic, clarity, and sense of form in abundance, sizzling in the details and compelling over the duration." –Jason Bivins, Dusted

"Planetary Unknown kick some serious ass. This free improvisation quartet is animated by a bright collective soul." –François Couture, Monsieur Délire

Here, this critically acclaimed new ensemble was celebrating the 2011 release of its self-titled debut, which reviewers called “gravity-defying” (Marcus O’Dair, Jazzwise), “breathtaking .. staggering .. mesmerizing” (Marc Medwin, The New York City Jazz Record), “the rare all-star session that’s more than than the sum of its parts” (Jeff Jackson, Jazziz) and “a tour de force of free improvisation from four masters of the form” (Troy Collins, All About Jazz).

That album was the latest in a series of diverse AUM Fidelity releases since 2009 documenting the next phase of David S. Ware’s long and distinguished career. Recent reviews had called him “a master musician” (Dan Warburton, The Wire), “a force-of-nature improviser” (Nate Chinen, New York Times) and “one of today’s more important artists” (Troy Collins, Point of Departure). BBC Music’s Daniel Spicer added, “Ware’s playing is astonishing, pushing the limits of brain, fingers and equipment, ideas rushing out in a stream of furious, liquid invention, with an almost superhuman precision.”

This group was the final majestic David S. Ware quartet. In November 2010, they entered the studio to create the album which would give them their name. That session was never intended to be a one-off; the full understanding was that they would continue as a working unit ... They convened only two more times: as highlights of both Vision Festival, NYC in June and Jazzfestival Saalfelden, Austria in late August. This second concert proved to be Ware's final live performance, and the last album of work to be brought forth during his lifetime. It was created by a quartet of master musicians whose wholly lived experience creating profound spontaneous music spans the past half century.

“Each member of the group has spent decades developing a signature on his instrument and investigating all manner of folk and art music, and that depth of knowledge is clear on the developmental, shape-shifting nature of each piece,” wrote the BBC’s Kevin Le Gendre. “There is something compelling about the strength of character of the individuals at the beating heart of this supergroup.”

Culture Catch’s Steve Holtje noted, “there is never any disjointedness or hesitation; these veterans organize their thoughts organically, instantly composing at speeds faster than thought. It’s an approach that carries great risks, but with players such as these, even greater rewards, and everything works to perfection throughout.”

[ pre·ces·sion /prəˈseSHən noun (Physics) : the slow movement of the axis of a spinning body around another axis due to a torque (such as gravitational influence) acting to change direction of the first axis. ]