Ari Brown is a rough-hewn saxophonist of striking power and brilliance. He plays with raw emotion and ferocity and possesses a distinctive voice culled from his Chicago roots. Brown’s range of experience draws from work with Elvin Jones, Lester Bowie, and Anthony Braxton.
On this disc, his second for Delmark, Brown crosses boundaries of lyrical improvisation, mainstream blowing, and the human abandon and spirit of the AACM school to set forth a recording of uncategorized musical clarity and rich fervor.
The original compositions include tributes flowing from Coltrane, Rahsaan, and Roscoe, and spiritual pieces that lend themselves to Brown’s message and range, rough growls and snorts that blend into a sweet and flowing presentation, full of direct and bare human sensibilities.
The quartet is framed by a dynamic rhythm section, harmonically compatible bracings from pianist Kirk Brown, the steady bass of Josef Ben Israel, and the controlled energy of drummer Avreeayl Ra.
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