Posium Pendasem [live]

by Steve LoewyThis version of William Parker's group, In Order to Survive, adds tenor saxophonist Assif Tsahar to the usual quartet of Parker, drummer Susie Ibarra, pianist Cooper Moore, and alto saxophonist Rob Brown. Recorded live at the "30. Workshop Freie Musik" in Berlin, the highlight is the 50-minute "Posium Pendasem #7," which lets the players stretch and develop ideas at length. The powerful two-saxophone front line punches a major wallop, and when they blow energetically in tandem, there is a fierce and unsettling groundswell that erupts. Moore continues to be one of the most underrated of the free-style pianists, and he and Ibarra round out a remarkable rhythm section. While there is no new ground broken, this recording is a fine example of the creative intensity generated by a small conglomeration that continues to knock out some of the finest music of its kind.