Raskin, Jon Quartet / Jon Raskin Quartet
Album: Jon Raskin Quartet   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Raskin, Jon Quartet   Added:Sep 2007
Label:Rastascan Records  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2007-10-14 Pull Date: 2007-12-16 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Dec 16 Dec 9 Nov 25 Nov 18 Nov 4 Oct 28 Oct 21
Airplays: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Recent Airplay
1. Feb 04, 2015: minimum entropy (day of noise preview)
African Tulip
4. Dec 14, 2007: Memory Select
Swing Sing
2. Sep 21, 2011: Memory Select
Post Card 2
5. Dec 07, 2007: Memory Select
Kandinsky
3. Oct 31, 2008: Memory Select
Bleckner
6. Nov 23, 2007: Memory Select
Sound Barometer Reading 1

Album Review
Craig Matsumoto
Reviewed 2007-10-12
Quartet abstract improv, but often guided by written scores of some sort. This gives the group sound an overall logic or quasi-rhythm, in some cases (1 and 12 are good examples). It's a propulsive and friendly sound overall.

Pieces are short, compact, rarely going past 5 minutes. That might be intentional, trying not to let lengthy improvs dominate the conversation -- or it might be a sign that Raskin's ideas were still formative here, still trying out different voices and strategies to see what fits. Either way, they're nice snippets.

Personnel are all local: Raskin on sax (he's the "R" in ROVA Sax Quartet) and Liz Allbee on the trumpet. George Cremaschi and Gino Robair on bass an drums flesh out the sound.

1- Abstract improv, strong pace. A unified rolling sound early, that's interrupted. Later, more disjoint but still fast
2- Mostly calm improv, starting strong/rough.
3- Chugging little free-jazz groove
4- Improv based on nearly jazzy horn phrases at first.
5- Buzzy, rolling, mid/fast. Becomes a strong abstract brew.
6- Improv, lots of small curly sounds after an opening blare
7- Careful feel. Opens up later.
8- Quiet. Small squiggles of activity, slight metal-ringing sound
9- Slowish feel but brash, still perky. Not quiet.
10- Nicely brash start and end. Floaty middle with nervous undertones.
11- Perky improv, a bit growly. Busy.
12- Bright, perky intro, brassy but small. A singing warble near the end.

Track Listing
1. Cracked Earth   7. Post Card 2
2. Sound Barometer Reading 1   8. Ceilometer Reading
3. African Tulip   9. Post Card 1
4. Swing Sing   10. Bleckner
5. Kandinsky   11. Disdrometer Reading
6. Sound Barometer Reading 2   12. Qupe