CURLEW

This RIO/avant-garde/free jazz outfit manage to be completely together, as tight as can be imagined while playing complex music, or free and loose as they improvised over the top, meaning each time they played a song it would be different as they reacted to the environment and what was happening around them. But whatever journeys they undertook they somehow always managed to be at the right place in the end. There is little between song banter, normally George saying what the next song is and possibly something about it, but it gives everyone a breather before they blast into the next. "The March (Or Ornette Went to Miles' House and They Didn't Get Along)" is incredibly frantic, massively over the top and absolutely insane, a remarkable piece of music as Ann tries to keep everyone to some semblance of order but fails wonderfully as everyone solos at once and then suddenly, they are all in sync!

This is music for those who love improvised music yet also need some semblance of structure, as this is dynamic and exciting, thought-provoking and necessary, all at once. The crowd were certainly appreciative of what must have an incredible experience, and it is great that 35 years after these events, Cuneiform have made the tapes available.

The compositions on this album range from all out Rock In Opposition, to RIO/jazz, to almost full fledged jazz (especially in the cleverly titled "The March or Ornette Went To Miles' House And They Didn't Get Along"). Many either start out as cacophony, and wander into melody, as my favorote song on this album, " Saint Dog" does. or start as melody, and develop into cacophany. All work sublimely.

At times, good times primarily, this band sounds like what I imagine mid-era Soft Machine might have sounded like if they could have heard Univers Zero, and been influenced by them.