|
Solar Fire Trio Rise Up (CD)
Harp magazine (Jan/Feb 2008))
Second album by this Liverpool-based improv trio continues in their
straight-up fire music tradition. Ray Dickaty has gone pretty far from
his work with Spiritualized, and managed to create something quite
different, but equally cool. Tenor, alto and drums all splay out in
ways that sound more American than Euro, and Steve Belger’s drumming
has a nice, loose sideways propulsion that serves as the backdrop for a
lotta fine canoodling. Worthy. (Byron Coley)
Aiding & Abetting (#287)
Tenor sax, alto sax
and drums, often played at their most annoying. Thing is, all this
noise does make sense. You don't even have to wait the songs out. Yeah,
it's the most heinous cacophony, but the ideas are right there on top.
Under no circumstances should this be played in the company of
epileptics.
All About Jazz (August 2007)
Recommended New Listening:
• Solar Fire Trio — Rise Up (Foreign Frequency)
—Andrey Henkin, Editorial Director, AllAboutJazz-New York
All About Jazz (September 2007)
Prepare yourself to hate Rise Up,
by the Liverpool group known as Solar Fire Trio. Not hate in the sense
of bad music or difficult sounds. Hate as in “sacred hate.” Like the
Pravda quote from 1935, “. . . Irreconcilable, inflexible, untamable
hate should be nourished by every worker, by every collective farm
worker, by every soldier and office employee, by every teacher and
artist, because this hate is a great, heroic, sacred hate which belongs
to the proletariat.”
Perhaps
in the realm of free jazz, free being the key word here, that hatred is
not of class or political party but of horror. Just open a newspaper,
read about war, OJ Simpson arrested again, hunger, and corporate greed.
Okay, close your newspapers and try to enjoy a Dave Brubeck record.
Can’t do it.
Now
you are ready for the Solar Fire Trio, a two saxophone plus drums trio
that plays with an unrelenting fury. Pick your comparisons: Albert
Ayler, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders, Frank Lowe, Joe McPhee, or Peter
Brötzmann—these musicians have dipped their toes into the same streams.
The
disc opens with two horns blowing repeated notes as drummer Steve
Belger (The Muffin Men) plows through with some heavy stick work. Soon
enough Ray Dickarty (Spiritualized) and Dave Jackson are crossing
swords of sound. Belger keeps things in a driving mode throughout the
opener, and the energy and volume either invite you in or drive you
away.
If
you are still with us, the remaining two tracks, nearly thirty minutes
of music, balances some simmering quiet moments with more energetic
jazz. Volume doesn’t change this music. Try playing it at a low volume
and the intensity remains. Raise the decibels and the flower opens.
The
experience can be quite exhausting. Certainly the most appropriate
quote here is from ex-Clash front-man, Joe Strummer: “Oh anything I
want, he gives it to me / Anything I want, he gives it but not for free
/ It's hateful / And it's paid for and I'm so grateful / To be
nowhere.” (Mark Corroto)
*Original may be found HERE
|
