A trio of peerless improvisers, namely Michael Bisio, Kirk Knuffke & Fred Lonberg-Holm, combine forces for The Art Spirit. Bass, cello and cornet is an unusual and, I believe, unique lineup, but it works here surprisingly well, thanks to the open ears and concentrated listening skills of bassist Bisio, cornetist Knuffke, and cellist Lonberg-Holm. Bisio is the instigator, inspired by the American painter Robert Henri (1865-1929). His r. henri is one of three pieces he composed for this outing. This delicately textured and very moving tribute is one of the CD’s most effective performances. The tune was also a highlight of Now Then by the Tani Tabbal Trio. Knuffke is one of the most imaginative performers around, and he sounds quite at home performing in this setting with two string players. Because Bisio and Lonberg-Holm are equally adept at arco and pizzicato approaches to their instruments, a formidable array of contrasts and conversational strategies opens up. The resulting music ranges from jittery and nervous to smoothly sonorous. Dive right into Not a Souvenir of Yesterday and let the music draw you into their sound world of lightning quick mutual inventions. And good luck trying to figure out what’s composed and what’s improvised in this hour. Not that it matters, as the border between them grows more illusory by the year anyway. Particularly fine in addition to r. henri are the group improvisations Both Keys Belong to You, with anxious strings and inventive cornet solos and the playful Like Your Work As Much As, which features some genuinely gnarly cello work by Lonberg-Holm, an impressively forceful solo by Bisio, and some of the weirdest cornet sounds I’ve ever heard from Knuffke or anyone else. The Art Spirit is clearly flourishing in this fascinating and deeply exploratory music.
ESP-Disk’ ESP5053; Kirk Knuffke (cnt, soprano cnt) Michael Bisio (b) Fred Lonberg-Holm (clo, elec); Kingston, NY, September 24, 2018; Not a Souvenir of Yesterday/ r. henri/ Both Keys Belong To You/ Use Them/ Orange Moon Yellow Field/ Things Hum/ Like Your Work As Much As/ A Dog Likes to Gnaw a Bone; 61:54. www.espdisk.com
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