Sonage by Duplexus

A variety of compositional and improvisational approaches are explored in these excellent performances by Jack Walrath (trumpet, flugelhorn) and Corrado Canonici (double bass, voice). The results are prime examples of creative imagination and inspiration in experimental music. The CD is a breath of fresh air into avant-garde jazz and contemporary classical, coming from the outskirts of both genres. A pairing of the jazz trumpeter/composer and a phenomenal experimental solo double bassist/improviser create some outstanding moments, one being an abstract adaptation of "Oh, Lord! Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me!'" by Charles Mingus set alongside their own compositions that date back to as early as 1981. On one piece, six basses are overdubbed; "Landing on Uranus" is a comical piece that exhibits humor not often found in avant-garde music. The closing piece, "Sintagma," is an electronic piece by the composer Francesco Sardella, in which the producer makes a random cut-and-paste track with the acoustic recording.