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Mars Williams / Tollef ?stvang: Painted Pillars

By Mark Corroto
June 7, 2018
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Mars Williams / Tollef Østvang: Painted Pillars

If you only know saxophonist

Mars Williams

saxophone
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Mars Williams from his gigs with the post-punk band The Psychedelic Furs or the hip-hop/funk band Liquid Soul, you're missing out on a talented and dedicated free-jazz improviser. He scatters himself in many directions, from collaborations with Chicago's

Ken Vandermark

saxophone
b.1964

" data-original-title="" title="">Ken Vandermark,

Tim Daisy

drums
b.1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Tim Daisy,

Jim Baker

piano

" data-original-title="" title="">Jim Baker and

Michael Zerang

drums
b.1958

" data-original-title="" title="">Michael Zerang, to work in Europe with Switchback and

Raoul Bjorkenheim

guitar
b.1956

" data-original-title="" title="">Raoul Bjorkenheim's Scorch Trio. He also leads the power trio Boneshaker, maintains

Hal Russell

multi-instrumentalist
1926 - 1992

" data-original-title="" title="">Hal Russell's spirit with the NRG Ensemble, and he released the amazing An Ayler Xmas (So What Records, 2017). And that is just scratching the surface of his workload. Williams' free-jazz outings include the long out-of-print Hoofbeats Of The Snorting Swine (Eight Day Music, 1996) with Vandermark, and he can also be heard with

Peter Brötzmann

woodwinds
1941 - 2023

" data-original-title="" title="">Peter Br?tzmann,

Joe McPhee

woodwinds
b.1939

" data-original-title="" title="">Joe McPhee, and

Paal Nilssen-Love

drums
b.1974

" data-original-title="" title="">Paal Nilssen-Love.

Painted Pillars with Norwegian drummer

Tollef Østvang

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Tollef ?stvang is both an outstanding introduction to Williams' free jazz and an essential component in his discography. Credit ?stvang, an imperturbable percussionist, who excels as a colorist. He is a member of several ensembles which can be found on his Stone Floor label and Clean Feed Records. They include Universal Indians with

John Dikeman

saxophone, tenor
b.1983

" data-original-title="" title="">John Dikeman, the Norwegian quintet Friends & Neighbors, the quintet All Included, and the septet The Way Ahead. ?stvang and Williams shape each of the three pieces heard here into extended investigations of sound and pulse.

Recorded live in 2017, "Mental Chaos" opens with a certain tranquility, balancing quiet against a brewing storm. Halfway through, Williams channels his inner

Albert Ayler

saxophone, tenor
1936 - 1970

" data-original-title="" title="">Albert Ayler and ?stvang his inner Sunny Murray. They use these legends as touchstones—as a tribute and to mine their vocabularies. The same methods are utilized with "Painted Pillars," where connections can be made with Roscoe Mitchell,

Evan Parker

saxophone, soprano
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Evan Parker and

Famoudou Don Moye

drums
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Famoudou Don Moye. The track begins quietly enough with toys and bells before finding momentum in the snarkiness of upper register sounds played against clamorous drumming. Finally, there's "Wandering Eyes." Williams and ?stvang have reached a point of being completely simpatico. Halfway through, you might imagine hearing

Ornette Coleman

saxophone, alto
1930 - 2015

" data-original-title="" title="">Ornette Coleman in duet with

Hamid Drake

drums
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Hamid Drake. Was this a dream or are they extracting the backstory of jazz history?

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Track Listing

Mental Chaos; Painted Pillars; Wandering Eyes.

Personnel

Mars Williams / Tollef ?stvang

Mars Williams: saxophones, toy instruments; Tollef ?stvang: drums, percussion.

Album information

Title: Painted Pillars | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Stone Floor Records

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