Points of Order

by Nic KincaidThe first solo record for his new Innerhythmic imprint, the avant-groove Points of Order recording finds the ever-collaborative Bill Laswell inviting stellar musicians into his formidable company for this fall 2001 release. Beginning with a representative Laswellian "period" drum'n'bass spy movie piece, hip-hop leftists Anti-Pop Consortium vocalize over "Staple Nex" and "Broken Toenail Gland," and find an ideal landscape for their acclaimed intellectual spoken words and raps. Lying imbedded among the explorations of trumpet players Graham Haynes and Toshinori Kondo (William Parker, United Future Organization), Beans, Priest, and M. Sayyid's words roll off the tongue with tremendous astuteness lubricating their delivery. ("Now tell the androids what it means to use reason, confuse seasons, abuse needles to make beats, my large intestine is a breakbeat!") But as coyly as they enter, the two songs featuring vocals seep back into instrumental big beat jazz, emulating a kind of enhanced 1968 Miles feel with updated beats and bass that embody all of Laswell's signature deep pocket. Also present on the recording is German-born pianist Karl Berger (Lee Konitz, Sly Dunbar), percussionist Aiyb Dieng (Umar Bin Hassan, Herbie Hancock), and drummer Karsh Kale. Overall this is a cherishable solo recording of tremendous beauty and intelligence, filled with progressive sounds so nurtured they sound like they've been mounting for centuries.