Five "Nuts" Have A New CD If You Are Willing to Shell Out

Bassist Benjamin Duboc put together the group called "Nuts" with the unusual instrumentation of two trumpets (Rasul Siddik, Itaru Oki), two drummers (Didier Lassarre, Makoto Sato) and of course bass. Based on their inaugural recording Symphony for Old and New Dimensions (Ayler), the group is inclined toward the long, sprawling improvisational form. There are two lengthy segments totalling nearly 70 minutes of music on this live session. If you realize from the start that these musical nuts are going to be in no hurry to come to some final musical fruition, you will relax and begin to appreciate the long flowing meander that makes "Nuts" a satisfying, leisurely journey through a landscape of freely articulated sound.

The liner notes on the CD point out the similarity of approach between this group and some of the classic AACM musicians, particularly the Art Ensemble. I do not disagree. Like the AEC when in a certain group mind-meld, Nuts conjure a meditative mood that does not look to an eventful series of conclusions, but rather an open-ended dialogue that leaves room for all but expects each participant to contribute to the collective affect. Nobody is exactly soloing, nor are they accompanying.

All the above distinguishes this set from the more typical improvs that can be heard. It takes a few listens to appreciate, at least it did for me. Once you get there, though, you know you've been some places that are at least a shade rarefied. And, if you are like me, you appreciate it the more for all that.