Chaos

adian Pianist Paul Bley is joined here by Italian bass player Furio Di Castri and English drummer Tony Oxley. The trio plays only five of this set's 13 songs; two pieces are piano solos, another is a bass solo, and four are drum solos. The three acoustic instruments are heard in warm and vivid detail. An additional selection features a drum and piano duet. Oxley in particular is bracing and inventive, making full use of the breadth of his musically percussive approach on his four contributions.
There's a well-matched interplay amongst the trio, as well as a sympathetic relationship between their solo turns--they spur, match, meet, and intuit each other at every turn. This set joins some of Bley's other exemplary offerings showcasing engaging three-way interplay, such as TURNS, COPENHAGEN AND HARLEM, and his work with Jimmy Giuffre.|

This is a fascinating set. Although the instrumentation (pianist Paul Bley, bassist Furio DiCastri and Tony Oxley on drums and percussion) may lead one to expect a conventional piano trio, in reality the 13 selections consist of four drum solos, one unaccompanied bass piece, two piano solos, a piano-drums duet and just five trio numbers. Bley's use of space and dynamics gave free jazz pianists in the 1960s an alternative approach to Cecil Taylor; here he sounds quite creative and his opening "Chaos" is a near-classic. DiCastri, who is very inventive on his unaccompanied "Touching Bass," is intuitive and displays a huge tone. However, it is Oxley who often steals one's attention. His wide array of equipment makes one think that he raided a junkyard, and his four solos are full of color rather than technique, surprises rather than swing. While many drum/percussion solos lose a great deal when the visual element is not present, Tony Oxley's transfer very well to disc. This set of concise free improvisations is highly recommended to open-minded listeners. ~ Scott Yanow