Milwaukee 2002

by François Couture Paul Rutherford and Lol Coxhill have rarely played in America. One of those occasions was for the 2002 Empty Bottle Festival in Chicago, and the Emanem label has been scrupulously documenting the trip. After the festival, the two Englishmen, accompanied by bassist Torsten Müller, drove to Milwaukee, WI, for a concert, part of the Alternating Currents series hosted by WMSE FM. And so Milwaukee 2002 is to be put alongside Rutherford's Chicago 2002, and Coxhill's Out to Launch. The album reproduces the order of the live set, taking out only a section from the saxophone/trombone duet in order to fit everything on one CD. First are three extended solos. Rutherford is once again a fountain of invention, his 22-minute performance constantly moving forward, never looking back. But the stand-out is Müller's solo, mostly because he remains less well-known. At times he plays the bass like a rubber band, but techniques and tricks aside, what strikes is the articulation and the sense of direction he gives to his solo. Coxhill's piece is fine, but adds little to what can be heard on Out to Launch. The sax/bass and sax/bone duets that follow, despite a slightly weak sound capture, contain many strong moments, especially the exchange between Coxhill and Müller, the highlight of the album. Their playing can be described as "seriously playful"; it has a certain lightness that casually invites you to pay attention. The set concludes with the trio, too short at eight minutes. It feels like they are just warming up to each other when the evening comes to an end. Oh well, perhaps someone could take this trio to the studio for a closer-recorded, more interactive session?