Naan Tso

Free improv, a jazzy date despite the abstract setting. A goodbye session for drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo, who was returning to South Africa after decades in London. Other high-caliber UK improvisers make up the band: Evan Parker (on tenor sax, avoiding his famous soprano), Steve Beresford (piano), John Edwards (bass), and Moholo on drums. The same group recorded a CD titled "Foxes Fox" on Emanem in 1999; it's in our library.

Beresford's jazzy ticklings define much of the sound. Parker's burly sax is obviously the lead voice, displaying some nice jazz chops. Moholo and Edwards lay down fast patter for a rich background. Excellent stuff.

1- Intense, with a few near-silent drop-offs. Some recommended excerpts:

Groany start launches into a strong free-jazz jam ending in a near-silent pause around -22:40.

From -20:00 to -15:00 darker, quieter, but fast.

At -9:00, a dark segment with heavy timpani(!) moving into a calm, active jazzy passage that can be faded to an end by -4:00. The final minutes are a thunderous tumult.

2- Low-lying and fast, a rapid patter that starts quiet and builds

3- Quiet, sad. Builds energy til just around the halfway point, where it gets into more abstract territory with a cold vibe. Last two minutes get fierce.

4- Agressive. Starts breezily fast and builds to a crescendo just after -10:00. Then very quiet for a bass solo, with a fast drum patter by Moholo. An active jazzy few minutes follows, quieting down into a deeper, thoughtful segment.