''Alone, Together, Apart'' is a live album by percussionist

Jerome Cooper Jerome Douglas Cooper (December 14, 1946 – May 6, 2015) was an American free jazz musician. In addition to trap drums, Cooper played balafon, chirimia and various electronic instruments, and referred to himself as a "multi-dimensional drummer," ...

and vocalist

Thomas Buckner Thomas Buckner (born 1941) is an American baritone vocalist specializing in the performance of contemporary classical music and improvised music. In his work, he utilizes a wide range of extended (non-traditional) vocal techniques. Buckner als ...

. It was recorded in April 2002 at Lotus Music and Dance Studio in New York City, and was released by Mutable Music in 2003.

Reception

In an review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Glenn Astarita wrote: "Buckner's wordless vocals complement Cooper's keenly constructed percussion motifs and EFX based treatments... the musicians paint lucid canvasses, awash with imaginary voyages as they morph lesser-known musical terrains into idealized statements... they sustain a great deal of interest throughout these lengthy pieces... the musicians pursue elusive frameworks along with textural components that often allude to subversive shifts in strategy. No doubt, this is fascinating stuff!" Ken Waxman, writing for '' All About Jazz'', commented: "Buckner, using his full-spectrum voice, and Cooper, on a variety of percussion instruments, approach the four spontaneous improvisations with the same aplomb as if they were respectively vocalizing an early music motet or playing a straight jazz tune... The duo's work... suggests pygmy chanting, speaking-in-tongues, animal cries and mysterious Indo-European word play on the vocal side, while Cooper flits from sock cymbal to bass drum to electric keyboard used both as electric piano and synthesized strings for more expansion coloration." In an article for ''Signal to Noise'', Pat Buzby stated: "Cooper's playing here stands out for its uniquely light but driving touch... Buckner's voice... delves into low groans, high cries and semi-operatic stylings, but steers clear of harshness. This is meditative music... Avoiding poking and prodding, Cooper and Buckner work alongside one another patiently, on the same wavelength."

Track listing

All compositions by Jerome Cooper and Thomas Buckner. # "Evocation" – 24:48 # "Journey" – 8:46 # "Return" – 16:22 # "All Out" – 4:05

Personnel

– drum set, tonal rhythmic activator, bass drum, dumbek, sock cymbal, cymbals, balaphone, floor tom-tom, keyboard *

– voice

References

{{authority control Jerome Cooper live albums 2003 live albums