Listen to an excerpt from the new CD: A Close Embrace of the Earth

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Formed of meditative, soothing stretches of earthy and woody sounds woven of elliptical melodies punctuated by riffs of keening moans, witty squawks and a jarring squeak here or there, this suite of 11 pieces defies categorization. They don't call it free-form for nothing. Bizarre, yes. But the more you listen to them, the more the idiosyncratic idioms appeal to you. Perhaps the stirring emotional integrity and original beauty of these compositions will dissolve some prejudice against avant garde free-form music.

The musicians: Lenni Bukowski (contra-bass, contra-alto, alto & bass clarinets, alto & baritone saxophones, little instruments); Mike Khoury (violin, little instruments); Piotr Michalowski (alto & bass clarinets, baritone, tenor, soprano & sopranino saxophones, little instruments)

Mark E. Gallo of JazzReview.com had this to say about the CD:

“One of my top 10 of 2003, this is a mesmerizing work that showcases the musicianship of these three visionaries. The first of these pieces, ‘MU7' (all of the compositions have equally obtuse titles), opens with deep, deep bass clarinet and violin contraposed. The violin bow taps the strings, while soprano saxophone ruminates. The violin then takes a short melodic break only to be chased by bari, alto and soprano all working over a narrative bass clarinet. … [O]n ‘MU8' soprano and bass dart like hatchling birds at a nest. Shades of Ornette with many little percussives at play here. Never a case of picking up instruments at random to see what they might sound like, this is a well conceived and one suspects controlled sort of anarchy. A methodical thread of sound, a deep register drone over which reeds and violin converse in whispers.

“The brilliance of this wonderful recording is that it is at once musically riveting and supremely challenging, but never abrasive. I am fond of music that dares to be grating and abrasive at times, but this is a decided departure. I don't recall another recording over the past few years that has taken this almost brooding tact. It is tremendously exciting. It is an emotionally draining piece of music, as well as wholly exhilarating.”

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