December 1997

The RH Factor
Live in New York
Bellaphon

By Patricia Myers

Maybe this disc should carry a label: "Caution: For adventurous ears only." A progressive outing recorded live to digital two-track at the Knitting Factory in 1993, it's newly released on a German label. Drummer Reuben Hoch is at the core of a quartet that features David Liebman contributing his free-style soprano to tiers of minor-laden riffs in various moods. Guitarist Kevin McNeal varies from gentle to wild, sharing solo lines with keyboardist Christoph Spendel and bassist Jeff Andres in a totally "out" outing.