Reviews from Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery, NYC

"Legendary and influential Detroit-based saxist Faruq Z. Bey, passed away in June of 2012 and left a long legacy of Spirit/Avant/Jazz. . . . After Mr. Bey's passing, the Northwood improvisers have continued and recorded a half dozen essential Free/Spirit/Jazz gems. . . . Their special here is another Detroit based saxist named Tony Holland who was a member of Mr. Bey's previous band, Griot Galaxy. . . . "Ants Dance" . . . written by Donavon Boxey . . . After a few short sax solos, Mike Khoury takes a fine pizzicato violin solo which is followed by an inspired percussion solo. "From the Bassment", has a fine, old school bass-led groove with layers of tightly wound spinning reeds. This piece is filled with several duos, which work quite well plus some thematic charts. "Kalm" was written by Faruq Z. Bey and it has a lush, lovely, haunting sound with righteous flute, other reeds and string harmonies. "Unified View" starts with eerie bowed bass over an ostinato plucked groove which quickly turns into a strong slamming beat. Tony Holland takes an uplifting soprano solo which continues while all of the horns play this hypnotic Brotherhood of Breath chorus. Eric Dolphy's "245". . . The septet plays this piece thoughtfully without going too far outside. What I especially like about this disc is that the group often plays in a freeish way while still maintaining a constant throb or inner groove. . . . The last piece, "White Sky" is the title piece and it is based on a short line played by Finnish shakuhachi player June Takamaki. The bowed bass, cello and flute sound like they are weeping or humming together with a sho (Japanese harmonica sounding instrument) added. I found this entire disc to be a rich form of Spirit/Jazz which feels great and has a hopeful core pulsating throughout."

Read Gallanter's full writeup on White Sky here

"Dominic Bierenga's "The Heart and The Feather" opens things up and both saxists play soprano, soaring around one another with a great cello solo following. Faruq Bey's "Fosters" has an infectious drunken sounding swagger and spirited bluesy sax solo by Mr. Boxey. The late, legendary trumpeter, professor & composer, Bill Dixon, wrote "Momenti", which has a slow and winding Spirit Jazz sound, subdued yet hypnotic, with several reeds all intertwined in a dream-like haze with the strings and throbbing bass. "Tahquamenon Suite" simmers and sways with two basses throbbing underneath, strong Trane-like tenor, eerie violin and hypnotic mallet-work by their drummer. . . . "Lunar Eclipse". It begins quietly with a distant drone of a tambura and other sparse yet haunting sounds. Although the tambura gives the music an Indian, raga-like vibe, it is the other ghost-like drifting sounds which transform this into its own haunting dreamworld. . . . cellist Jack O'Brien composed "As Suns Shine, Clouds Cast Shadows". This piece is subdued yet has an unsettling undercurrent with eerie microtonal strings fluttering together. The final piece here is "Ceremony" by bassist Mike Johnston. This piece is mostly sparse and hushed with soft sounds emerging and floating by in slow motion. Fragments of melodies also are present but most of it does feel like a ceremony of some sort. This piece feels like a great way to mellow out after all of the Cosmic Spirit jazz which comes before it." - Bruce Lee Gallanter

Read Gallanter's full writeup on Unified View here