Saturn’s Rival – “Saturn’s Rival” – [Pfmentum]

Thurston Hunger   1/1/2015   CD, Jazz

SoCal Five piece and four uneasy pieces. Improvised sounds,
criss-crossing the jazz/not-jazz border, jumping
inside the piano frequently with Richard Valitutto.
Or it could also be some deconstructed harp via
Susan Allen. Some seamless work tween them via their
stringed but percussion music. In addition Anjilla
Piazza has all kinds of Partch-like plinks and
rattles and spine-scrapes. Starts with everyone
walking lightly, high and soft over head, soprano?
sax squeaky before light spirals. Next a 22 min opus
features Parrish with great flute piercings of
some sonic dark matter. I assume #3 starts with a
processed guitar from Maxwell Gualtieri, who moves
into light note dithering, and I was hoping he’d
revive the bad computer effects of the start, but
we get a more forest cave of piano/harp to close it.
The last improv has the 5tet trying to start a rusty
old van, or maybe it’s Gualtieri’s guitar and it dies
down before running into slap dischords while Parrish
gargles with a flute. #2 and #3 raised the most hairs
in my ears and back, check yours. So glad to see that
pfMentum’s still got moMentum!

-Thurston Hunger