Coolmixes

A key figure in the second wave of AACM musicians from Chicago, trombonist George Lewis combines street-march-inspired trombone performance with a singular vision of where music from the African American traditions can go. Endless Shout presents a mixed program of his work, beginning with "North Star Boogaloo," a diverting and pointed reflection on African American predicaments, which is scored for percussion, computer, and the spoken word of Quincy Troupe. It incorporates arresting computerized sound, snatches of basketball broadcasts, and sly references by master percussionist Steven Schick to jazz great Roy Haynes. Next, a suite of four piano pieces, performed by Sarah Cahill, explores the blues form as, in Lewis's words, "living, mutable, mobile, noisy, unstable, vibrant--and ultimately infinite." "Shadowgraph 4" is one of Lewis's series of works for improvising "creative orchestra," and in the NOW Orchestra of Vancouver, B.C., he finds just that. Finally, Lewis records a haunting and winning version of his "Voyager" for "interactive computer program" and trombone. This album, in various ways, convincingly announces: "This is where it's at." --Peter Monaghan

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