Joe Rosenberg is a saxophonist whose name should be better known than it is. He has recorded some consistently fine albums and yet, as with so many artists, he barely registers on the radar screen. This one is largely abstract and esoteric, the result, in part, of the company he keeps. The even... [+] Expand

Joe Rosenberg is a saxophonist whose name should be better known than it is. He has recorded some consistently fine albums and yet, as with so many artists, he barely registers on the radar screen. This one is largely abstract and esoteric, the result, in part, of the company he keeps. The even less-known, but equally creative, saxophonist Jean-Luc Guionnet is the other horn, and the latter's obscure, individualistic approach to improvisation has a powerful effect on the whole. Rounding out the quartet is the stellar bassist Mark Helias, whose presence energizes any recording, and the Very Sensitive Drummer, Edward Perraud, who is a perfect complement to the kind of extremes to which this group is capable of reaching. Unlike much of so-called avant-garde jazz, these fellows are less concerned with energy than with pure sound -- the little noises, and the reflection of one sax off another -- but Rosenberg and Guionnet are capable of building interlocking lines that, for example, on the lengthy "A la Carte," weave in-and-out in a style reminiscent of Lee Konitz and Wayne Marsh. For all the moments of excellence, though, there are others when the music loses focus and drifts, when the limited tonal palette is difficult to overcome, when, as on "On Three," the results appear slightly contrived, and boredom ensues. These moments are rare, though, and both saxes usually project unique voices that beg for attention. ~ Steven Loewy, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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