PETER KOWALD
Pink Pony, NYC, March 13 and 14
Goethe House, NYC, March 17

Peter Kowald hit New York in a striple storm with two gigs at the Pink Pony followed by one at Goethe House, the latter a duo with fellow- bassist William Parker. The opening performance was a trio with Rashied Ali and saxophonist Assif Tsahar, who informed me, “We put it together as a cooperative effort.” Although a packed house had come to see Kowald, they were a true trio, from the first note. Kowald did no grand-standing. The opening number began full-energy, and somehow, without imitating him, Tsahar had channeled Albert Ayler’s tone into his horn and went off into an extended solo that had Ali grinning to himself immediately. Perhaps that whole night could be gauged by the expressions you could see on Ali’s face, whether it was an intensely internal look, or the sly glances egging on his collaborators. Tsahar’s tone and style evolved throughout the night and was impressive; he never held back and had strong ideas throughout. Ali played an extended solo, and although there was nothing specific to point out about why it was special, perhaps that was why. With his partners, he just played tasty. The audience showed its love.

Night two Kowald began with a solo, playing arco, with overtone singing, his bass voice close enough to the deep timbre of the acoustic bass to avoid sounding fake-Tuvan. The instrument sang a monolog, with the appearance of folk or folk-like melodies glimmering through. Sometimes the slap and click on the strings made more sound than the resonance of the tall instrument, and then Kowald went to a high pizzicato and deeply-felt, deeply-thought fragmented fingerplay. You could hear some slurs similar to those in Indian vocal ragas. He knelt on one knee, plucking beneath the bridge, and then standing, his tall body hung over the body of the bass like two lovers in a sculpture.

Parker and Tsahar joined Kowald for the second set, the bassists fingering their strings like brothers, full-throated, with Tsahar’s sax singing response. Parker took an extended intense solo, whose final notes Kowald amazingly picked up and made his own, taking it to another place. Tsahar took up his bass clarinet with a deliberately astringent tone, and Parker carved into his bass like a window made squeaking-clean. Tsahar played hard, but then went softer, going for tone as the trio began a slow riff, almost as if going into Hemphill’s “Hard Blues.” All three playing hot, it ended on Tsahar’s long, final, solo, aspiration.

Kowald told me, regarding musicians of his generation and the FMP Records stable, “I’m grateful for how many [young people] seem to know us now,” and was appreciative of the younger improvisers he’s working with on this American tour. “Everywhere I meet someone and it’s wonderful.” This American tour he’s played with young and old, from Kidd Jordan to percussionist Gino Robair and violinist Jonathan LaMaster.

Assif Tsahar says about Kowald, "His approach is so unique it forces you to follow the same path. You cannot fall into patterned thought; you have to be completely engaged in the moment. He is totally there with giant ears and you have to do the same. We played together for the first time five years ago, and since, every time he has been here."

“The bass has a lot of possibilities,” Kowald says, “a lot of language. It’s not like a bassoon. It’s like a big sack, like Santa Claus; you pull out something.” Nonetheless, there are times the musician feels, “Sometimes, when I do two different gigs in the same day, I think, ‘I’ve done this already today.’ I feel I repeat myself too much sometimes. In India, there are morning ragas and evening ragas. People think everything is new, but it’s not true. You bring a lot from your experiences, your past, your relationships to others so something new is brought to the performance. That is always the interesting question: How close do you get together: sound, attitude; it’s one of the key questions of improvised music. But if the attitude is fresh, then the music is fun.”

I missed the Goethe House performance but Tsahar said Kowald began with a twenty-minute solo, was joined by Parker, and” then they played a magical duet.” This reaction was confirmed by all I asked.

Kowald has an excellent new disc on FMP CD 102, Bass Duets, where he partners Barry Guy, Maarten Altena and Barre Phillips, sounding very different with each.

Steve Koenig