WITCHES AND DEVILS
At The Empty Bottle
Knitting Factory
KFW 282

A four-track Albert Ayler tribute, it catches fire four minutes in, and stops imitating him by the second piece. How cooperative of this group to not even name the musicians, well-known in this field, on the cover front or back. The closing sixteen-minute “Bells” is stomp-it-down exciting. This is the complete second set recorded live 27 August 1997 in somewhat dull sound. Kudos to cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, with many excellent discs under group names, and his own superb solo, Personal Scratch (Eighth Day Music EDM 80003, www.eighthdaymusic.com), for both his solos and group playing. Ken Vandermark and Mars Williams on reeds, Kent Kessler bass, Jim Baker piano and excellently well-integrated electronics, and Steve Hunt pumping the energy on drums. File under A or W as you choose. www.knittingfactory.com.

Steve Koenig

Track Listing: 1. Truth is Marching In; 2. Sax Duet/Piano Interlude; 3. Angels; 4. Bells

Personnel: Ken Vandermark, reeds; Mars Williams, reeds; Fred Lonberg-holm, cello; Jim Baker, keyboards; Kent Kessler, bass; Steve Hunt, drums