Recording information: Hot House, Chicago, IL (10/09/1994); Riverside Studio, Chicago, IL (10/09/1994); University Of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (10/09/1994).
Photographer: Joseph Blough.
Avant-garde pioneer Roscoe Mitchell performs all of the music on this two-CD set, some of it unaccompanied solos with about half of the selections using overdubbing. Mitchell is mostly heard on alto and soprano but also utilizes percussion and "little instruments" in addition to flutes. Some of the numbers are closely planned, programmed loosely with themes and plots, but there is also plenty of free-form improvising. Mitchell, a master at using silence and repetition, creates thoroughly unpredictable music that is generally quite logical in hindsight. Still, since these are sound explorations and there are plenty of violent moments, this is mostly for very open-eared listeners. ~ Scott Yanow
Professional Reviews
Down Beat (4/98, p.53) - 5 stars (out of 5) - "...the expanding and contracting emotional tornado he creates with circular breathing...and the the tactile, sculptural space he carves...have a classic, elegant beauty that surpasses romance..."
