Oh, My Dog

by Steven LoewyHere they are again, that zany, wacky group of Dutchmen of whom listeners cannot seem to get enough. The ICP Orchestra changes personnel from time to time, but several things remain constant: a seemingly endless catalog of creative compositions, free-style improvisations that almost always defy expectations, and surprisingly coherent arrangements that often seem on the brink of disintegration. This version of the Orchestra is heavy on the strings, with up and coming Mary Oliver on violin and ICP veteran Tristan Honsinger on cello. Among the others are longtime associates Misha Mengelberg on piano, the surprisingly reticent Wolter Wierbos on trombone, and Han Bennink on drums. Whether it is Thomas Heberer's trumpet with its cavalry charge on "Hand and Checked Luggage" or the hilarious brush with Americana (snippets of "Stars and Stripes Forever" on "A Close Encounter With Charles's Country Band"), this group should easily appeal to those with a taste for the bizarre, but who also want consummate musicianship on the edges of respectability. Ab Baars and Michael Moore (which is which?) charm with licorice sticks and saxes, while Mengelberg holds it all together. (Or does he pull it apart? No matter -- it works.) There is enough serious free improv to satisfy the connoisseurs, and enough anarchy to continue the tradition. ICP buffs will not want to miss this one.