Home > Music > John Oswald > Discography

John Oswald
Bloor
Release Date: 2001
Label: CIMP

It may be difficult to believe that the wealth of sound here is the result of just three acoustic instruments, two of which are strings, but that is simply a testament to the power and forcefulness of these three players. The pieces are identified only by numbers: "Two," "Four," "Five," and so on, but that is irrelevant. Behind these nine improvisations there is an incredible originality that defies definition. You know you are in for a treat with David Prentice on violin and Dominic Duval on string bass, both of whom consistently resist categorization. When John Oswald's alto sax is added, the resulting fireworks do not merely shed sparks, but his deliberate, though forceful, attack leads to music of genuine wonder. Without the conventional timekeeper (there are no drums and Duval relinquishes the traditional role of his instrument), the saxophonist lets loose, bringing to mind stylists as diverse as Anthony Braxton, Evan Parker, and even, at times, Peter Brotzmann, though what is most marvelous about Oswald is that he is his own man. His spurts of notes lead to unarticulated lines that bend like a river gone amok, only to give way to clamorous strings. It all requires close attention, to be sure, but the effort is well worth it. You may not know what to call the results, but in an age of media hype, you can't help but call Oswald an original voice, distanced from the flow of ordinary things. Steven Loewy, All Music Guide

Tracks: