A trio with a relatively regular-sounding name, Sonore actually consists of three of the highest-energy saxophonists in the world – Peter Brötzmann, Ken Vandermark, and Mats Gustafsson. This disc was recorded live at London’s Café Oto for a radio performance, which surely freaked some people out. Gustafsson limits himself to baritone sax throughout, while Vandermark plays tenor and clarinet and Brötzmann employs a wider array of reeds. Although there are individual songwriting credits, this sounds to me like free improvisation from lip to flip.
For power playing, this set should not disappoint, and the four pieces also showcase the lightning-quick improvising reflexes of these three. But for anyone still thinks they’re mostly just sax jox, the trio’s quiet passages are equally impressive, with subtle use of extended techniques and clever interplay woven in with melodic lines. Whether in passages that resemble modular synth clicking or Vandermark’s recent Ethio-jazz excursions, the awesome inventiveness of each man is again confirmed on this release.
