C. Spencer Yeh, Paul Flaherty and Greg Kelley - New York Nuts & Boston Beans

Paul Flaherty: alto & tenor saxophone
C. Spencer Yeh: violin, voice
Greg Kelley: trumpet (tracks 4-5)

Last seen caterwauling righteously alongside drummer extraordinaire Chris Corsano, C. Spencer Yeh (violin) teams up with regular sparring partner Paul Flaherty (sax) for some more freeform excursions towards the outer limits. This time around trumpeter and all-round noisenik Greg Kelley joins in, making for a surprisingly addictive combination of timbres, often merging into one another and becoming incredibly difficult to distinguish from one another. These three standout voices from the American improv scene have made a seriously stunning album here, blending unexpected moments of lyrical musicality into the grisly melting pot of atavistic exclamations, screeching instrumental timbres and occasional primal vocal excursions. Heavy going, no doubt, but fans of contemporary free-jazz and general far-out improv will quite rightly lap this up in a big way.

2009 NEW YORK NUTS & BOSTON BEANS
Review