Dave Liebman, Tatsuya Nakatani, & Adam Rudolph: The Unknowable

The distinct aura of ritual permeates The Unknowable, a tantalizingly edgy session by the trio of Dave Liebman, Tatsuya Nakatani, & Adam Rudolph. Liebman, heard mostly on tenor or soprano saxophones, also plays a couple of flutes, recorder, piri (a double-reed instrument from Korea), and on one piece, a Fender Rhodes electric piano, while Nakatani and Rudolph perform on a roomful of percussion, with drums and other noisemakers from around the globe. Arising from a central core of innate trust among the three musicians, these spontaneous compositions are short and focused. The pieces are also generally quieter than you might expect from a saxophone and percussion lineup. Among my favorite tracks are the energizing workout of The Simple Truth, Present Time, which features Liebman’s blazing tenor sax and Rudolph’s forceful congas with an overlay of electronic flavor, and the jagged Premonition with Liebman’s boldly expressive tenor over percussive clatter. Liebman’s many fans will find much here to enjoy.
RareNoise RNR089; Dave Liebman (ts, ss, C fl, Native American fl, recorder, piri, Fender Rhodes el p on *) Tatsuya Nakatani (d, gongs, metal perc, perc) Adam Rudolph (handrumset [cga, djembe, tarija, zabumba], thumb p, sintir, mbuti harp, slit drum, perc, overtone flutes, Fender Rhodes el p on #, live elec processing); West Orange, NJ, July 2016; Benediction (Opening)/ The Simple Truth/ Late Moon/ The Unknowable/ Skyway Dream/ Transmutations/ The Turning/ Present Time/ Distant Twilight/ Iconographic*/ Cosmogram#/ Premonition/ Benediction (Closing); 48:57. www.rarenoiserecords.com