Free jazz from the early '80s, mixing blazing free jazz with some contemplative Asian ideas. Blazing sax and slashing violin, plus bubbling bass and drums -- but on other tracks, they'll get quiet and still.

Especially check out Zen Matsuura's impressive drum solos, which are quick and agile but reflect a padded quiet more than a blazing cymbal firestorm. (2,4.) Those drums are a good proxy for this band's philosophy.

Jason Kao Hwang (violin)
Will Connell Jr. (sax)
William Parker (bass)
Zen Matsuura (drums)

(Footnote: Connell doesn't have the name recognition of Hwang or Parker today, but he's still in NYC and still playing the fast, hard stuff; I saw him with Lou Grassi's band in 2009.)

DISC ONE (Live tracks 6-7-8 segue into each other.)
1- Peaceful. Nice intertwining flute and violin. (3:34)
2- Fast, tumbling. Quiet bass & drums interludes in the middle. (6:36)
3- A noise interlude, almost: A lingering buzzing, a drifting feel. (5:11)
4- Slow, abstract, very Asian. Coolly calm drum solo. (10:07)
5- Scribbly, bustling, yet with a sparsity to it. Spacious violin solo. (11:04)
6- Airy, midtempo. Mystical flute solo, relaxed groove. SEGUES into 7. (10:38)
7- Slow and low-key, w/flute. (6:26)
8- Loud bursts, squawking sax. Gets seriously slashing. (21:58)


DISC TWO (All live; watch for applause)
1- Mystical, slow, spacious. At -15:13, jump-starts into hoppin' free jazz, a medium-intense boil. (22:34)
2- Live version of Disk 1, track 4. Swirling and abstract. Slow feel but some fast jittery moments. (16:16)
3- Upbeat, free-boppy. Out-there sax solo playing outside the chord changes; insane violin. (9:48)