Taking the kind of approach you might find on an Alexander Hawkins Trio record pushed to the extremities that bit further, Chicago trio pianist/synth player Jim Baker, bassist Jakob Heinemann and erstwhile NRG Ensemble drummer Steve Hunt strip things down to the bone on this avant release. Ken Vandermark in the notes comments sagely: ''This music is combinative, not foreground vs. background. And that is something consistent about Chicago music when it is at its best: multiple voices and perspectives encapsulated equally, whether on the scene as a whole, or within a singular band like this trio”. Recorded in Chicago both live and in the studio, final track 'The Ships' gives most to cling on to. But the second part of the 'Halting (No) Problem' suite also is a fascinating highlight. In all, what challenging music where improvisation is a key word ever so deftly delivered.
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