''Flow States'' is an album by reed players
Marshall Allen
Marshall Belford Allen (born May 25, 1924) is an American free jazz and avant-garde jazz alto saxophone player. He also performs on flute, oboe, piccolo, and EWI (an electronic valve instrument made by Steiner, Crumar company).
Allen is best ...
,
Roscoe Mitchell
Roscoe Mitchell (born August 3, 1940) is an American composer, jazz instrumentalist, and educator, known for being "a technically superb – if idiosyncratic – saxophonist". ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' described him as "one of the key figures ...
, and
Scott Robinson Scott Robinson may refer to:
* Scott Robinson (jazz musician) (born 1959), American jazz musician
* Scott Robinson (ice hockey) (born 1964), Canadian National Hockey League player
* Scott Robinson (singer) (born 1979), English singer in the boy ban ...
, and drummer
Milford Graves
Milford Graves (August 20, 1941 – February 12, 2021) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, Professor Emeritus of Music, researcher/inventor, visual artist/sculptor, gardener/herbalist, and martial artist. Graves was noteworthy for his e ...
. It was recorded at ScienSonic Laboratories in Teaneck, New Jersey on April 21, 2015, and was released in 2020 by the ScienSonic label. The album captured the first occasion on which Mitchell played with either Allen or Graves. It was recorded one day after the ScienSonic session that produced the album ''Heliosonic Toneways'', on which both Allen and Robinson performed.
Reception
In a review for ''
DownBeat
' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...
'', Ivana Ng called the album "a compact yet unrelenting set of expansive improvisations," and commented: "''Flow States'' finds the quartet oscillating
between forceful explorations and sparse, meditative musings, while seamlessly weaving in bebop, funk and more avant-garde concepts... The band's collaboration throughout feels organic and well-balanced, with each musician afforded the proper space to explore fringe concepts... By its conclusion, the band reaches a full-on flow state of boundless improvisation and unbridled creative energy"
Writing for ''
The New York City Jazz Record
''The New York City Jazz Record'' is a monthly New York City based publication that includes features, reviews and concert announcements regarding jazz music. It is available in print form (black and white hardcopy) as well as online at www.nycjazz ...
'', Kyle Oleksiuk described the album as "strong" and "adventurous," and depicted the bulk of the music as "a high-energy free
jazz atmospheric fugue (in the 'fugue state' sense), worthy of addition to the browsing music of any adventurous record store." He concluded: "This section is relatively standard; it is the kind of thing that most free jazz fans will feel they've heard a thousand times before but, like the blues, one never gets tired of hearing it."
Track listing
# "Vortex State" – 15:16
# "Dream State" – 10:47
# "Transition State" – 7:55
# "Steady State" – 5:53
# "Plasma State" – 6:23
# "Altered State" – 6:18
# "Variable State" – 6:12
# "Flow State" – 9:40
Personnel
*
Marshall Allen
Marshall Belford Allen (born May 25, 1924) is an American free jazz and avant-garde jazz alto saxophone player. He also performs on flute, oboe, piccolo, and EWI (an electronic valve instrument made by Steiner, Crumar company).
Allen is best ...
– reeds
*
Roscoe Mitchell
Roscoe Mitchell (born August 3, 1940) is an American composer, jazz instrumentalist, and educator, known for being "a technically superb – if idiosyncratic – saxophonist". ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' described him as "one of the key figures ...
– reeds
*
Scott Robinson Scott Robinson may refer to:
* Scott Robinson (jazz musician) (born 1959), American jazz musician
* Scott Robinson (ice hockey) (born 1964), Canadian National Hockey League player
* Scott Robinson (singer) (born 1979), English singer in the boy ban ...
– reeds
*
Milford Graves
Milford Graves (August 20, 1941 – February 12, 2021) was an American jazz drummer, percussionist, Professor Emeritus of Music, researcher/inventor, visual artist/sculptor, gardener/herbalist, and martial artist. Graves was noteworthy for his e ...
– drums
References
{{Reflist
2020 albums
Roscoe Mitchell albums
Milford Graves albums
Marshall Allen albums