9 Meals From Anarchy

Hanuman Sextet

Andy Haas- sax, raita, morsing, live electronics
Don Florino- lotar, lap steel gtr.
Mia Theodoratus- electric harp
Matt Heyner- bass, erhu
David Gould- drums, perc.
Deepop- drums, perc.

More unexpected and entirely fresh music from the Hanumans. One of the elements that most makes this so welcome, so left-field, is Theodoratus’ electric harp. She adds piquant and enlivening darts to each track, helping to make them gravity-defying and disarmingly festive. In fact, there’s a joyful, buoyant spirit throughout, partly because the group takes such a casual and unrespectful attitude toward jazz and free improvisation. To them total freedom really is a means to do something that upsets expectations and boundaries. Heyner’s mournful erhu and Florino’s corkscrewy lap steel bring outside-the-box intelligence and heart to the proceedings. The Hanumans continue to banish constrictions, which is as high a compliment as I can pay them. There’s as much originality and sheer surprise here as you’d find in an average 20-30 free albums.

www.myspace.com/RADIOCHINGNEWYORK

contact: radioi-ching@earthlink.nt

Resonant Music  007

Richard Grooms