Time Lapse

by Sean WestergaardEvan Parker sounds like no one else. He has developed a singular approach to playing and improvisation on the soprano saxophone that still has people scratching their heads wondering, "How does he do that?" His solo style often sounds like there's more than one player, and on Time Lapse he takes that style a step further by overdubbing himself on about half the pieces. This isn't the first time he has taken this approach (Process and Reality dates to the early '90s) and these pieces were recorded between 1999 and 2001. Parker composes through improvisation, and the overdubbed pieces are fascinating in the way he assembles the pieces, adding a part here or elaborating on a figure there. Of course, his solo playing is equally fascinating, and although he says in the liner notes that the overdubbed pieces alternate with the solo pieces, there are times when the listener would be hard-pressed to differentiate between the two. Time Lapse doesn't really offer anything new to the Parker book, but it's an excellent recording that provides stellar examples of his solo playing as well as showcasing his relatively rare work overdubbing himself. It's a captivating listen by one of improvised music's giants.