March 2008

Ahmad Mansour
Free Speech
ESC

By Forrest Dylan Bryant

Wrapping itself into a tight, swirling ball of kinetic energy, guitarist Ahmad Mansour’s electric trio grooves and burns its way through a mesmerizing live set that demands to be heard straight through. Striking improvisational statements bubble up from murky depths, with Mansour’s lines swinging between speedy, liquid arpeggios and a blues-rock crunch; precise exposition giving way to sudden incendiary swells. Stomu Takeishi’s sinister pulse on five-string fretless bass grounds the sound, while drummer Ted Poor, all constant motion, hurls the group forward.