Leap of Faith - Pseudorandom Generators

Review by Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

LEAP OF FAITH With PEK / CHARLIE KOHLHASE/ GLYNIS LOMON / YURI ZBITNOV - Psuedorandom Generators (Evil Clown 9119; USA) Featuring PEK on clarinets, saxes, double-reeds, aquasonic, game calls, etc; Charlie Kohlhase on alto, tenor & bari saxes; Glynis Lomon on cello, aquasonic & voice and Yuri Zbitnov on drums & percussion. The original core quartet for Leap of Faith was/is PEK, Glynis Lomon, Steve Norton and Yuri Zbitnov. Recently Steve Norton has moved leaving PEK, Lomon and Zbitnov to work with different guests. For this disc, the core trio works with longtime Boston-based saxist Charlie Kohkhase who has worked with the Either/Orchestra, John Tchicai, the Mandala Octet and has a number of swell records as a leader. Mr. Kohlhase is a veteran of the Boston progressive jazz scene. One of the things I dig most about Leap of Faith is that they sought out a number of Beantown veterans like Syd Smart and the Fringe. This quartet version of Leap of Faith is compact: focused and fortified. The interplay the two reedmen is consistently inspired and probing. Somewhere between the Art Ensemble of Chicago (small instruments, whistles & metals) and Euro Free/jazz/improv is what we have here. Cellist Lomon and percussionist Zbitnov are some sort cosmic rhythm team. When Mr. Kohlhase switches to alto sax midway, he adds a bluesy element to the usually further out interaction. Soon both reeds begin bending their notes inside-out, around and with each other with equally shrewd shifting strings and eerie rubbed, bowed and manipulated cymbals & drums. This disc is an entire 70+ minute set, long yet consistently engaging. At times, it is hard to tell who is playing each sound as all four members acoustically manipulate their sound. From somber to stimulating to mind-blowing!- Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG

Evil Clown

Video by PEK

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Photos by Raffi

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On Metal Chaos Ensemble: "... using unique strategies to yield densely active and eerily surreal music, an incredible excursion through experimental improvisation." - Squidco website staff

On Leap of Faith: "Alien yet familiar, bizarre yet completely fascinating. Expanding, contracting, erupting, settling down, always as one force..." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG

PEK AllAboutJazz Artist Profile

Leap of Faith

Pseudorandom Generators

Outpost 186, Cambridge MA - 9/17/2016

Audio CD Evil Clown 9119

Leap of Faith ‐ Pseudorandom Generators

Outpost 186, Cambridge MA - 9/17/2016

streaming, downloads and CD mail order

1) Pseudorandom Generators - 1:10:43
PEK - clarinet, contra-alto clarinet, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones,

dulzaina, contrabassoon, sheng, bass tromboon, aquasonic, siren, game calls,

goat horn, fog horns, metal

Charlie Kohlhase - alto, tenor and baritone saxophones
Glynis Lomon - cello, aquasonic, voice
Yuri Zbitnov - drums, crotales, metal, wood