The Demon

Whether or not Misterka is aping a more commercial arena than usual is largely irrelevant. You might even find some of this danceable, something that a few of the saxophonist's fans might find heretical. Of course, when you consider the unconscionably short length of the recording, the issue is perhaps moot: Like bad (or good) weather in Baltimore, if you don't like it, wait a few minutes and it will go away. But this is not a bad recording at all; it is even a gem of sorts, and it might point in a direction in which the saxophonist can market his concept to a crossover crowd. Besides Misterka's rough-edged alto, the focus is largely on the synthesizer, an instrument that Pete Caterella plays exceedingly wickedly, even demonically. He thrusts across the entire keyboard with some hardcore improvisations that border on Brotzmann-like intensity. Nate Smith, the third leg, pounds hard underneath it all, projecting a Bennink-like volume. Misterka, the composer, lets it hang, with simple repetitive riffs, pulsating rhythms, and disco-style electronics: Free-grunge meets hip-hop, filtered by way of Albert Ayler. Misterka has a good ear for song titles ("Nerd Machine" and "Land of the Giant Zorns," to name a couple). (Is that the six-plus foot plus bassist Jonathan, or celebrity John?) The clever compositions are filled with humor and cascading waves of sound, laced with corny riffs. Often, the sax repeats a phrase incessantly, leading ultimately to freestyle-drenched euphoria. Too bad it could not have lasted a few minutes more.