Book
| Book | |
|---|---|
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| [[File:|center|frameless]] | |
| Studio album by Rüdiger Carl & COWWS Quintett | |
| Released | November 4, 1998 |
| Recorded | |
| Studio |
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| Label | |
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Track list
With Mayo Thompson
| Track | Notes | Role | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Little Runover Rabbit" | 1991 | 4:01 | Recorded live in December 1991 in Stuttgart | vocals |
| 6. | "Misterioso" | 1989 | 1:18 | Studio recording, July/December 1989 | vocals |
| 11. | "Funny Green Birds" (instrumental version) | 1989 | 1:45 | Studio recording, July 1989 | drum machine |
| 18. | "Der Nidder" | 1989 | 2:06 | Studio recording, July 1989 | drum machine |
| 23. | "Schwarzes Loch" | 1989 | 2:06 | Studio recording, July 1989 | vocals |
| Disc 2 | |||||
| 4. | "Cleopatra's Nose" | 1991 | 1:54 | Recorded live in November 1991 in Zürich | vocals, drum machine, guitar |
| 9. | "Some Tasty Truth" | 1991 | 3:09 | Recorded live in December 1991 in Stuttgart | drum machine, guitar |
Background
Personnel
Reviews
1999[1]
Kenny G
Earpiece
Summer 1999[2]
b.wildered
this european release is actually made up of an 2 cd retrospective collection, called book, and a full length cd of new recordings, virtual cowws.
book features a variety of cowws quintet-related lineups recorded between 1981 and 1996, as selected by rudiger carl. germany's rudiger carl is a major figure in the free music production scene, as a master improviser on accordion and clarinet, as well as band leader and composer. mayo thompson (of the red crayola appears on several tracks, as does hans reichel. the regular lineup consists of carl, jay oliver (bass), phil wachsmann (violin, electronics), stephan wittwer (guitar) and irene schweizer (piano, percussion). barre phillips or arjen gorter played double bass with cowws following the death of jay oliver. the music is called free jazz. the constellations of musicians seek a purity of texture. some listeners will detect a classical orientation. those classically-oriented may find this disorienting. there is an unquestionable empathy invoked, a familiarity and mutual respect for ideas and ability to execute them that allows each player to restrain themselves from playing until an opening is presented.
virtual cowws presents a final cowws quintet project recorded in a different manner. rudiger carl delivered to each of the players a series of instructions, which each executed in the studio in complete isolation from the others. carl took the results and performed mixes which resulted in this cd. this john cage-inspired approach causes different choices to be made than those which the group had made in previous performances. the resulting sound is definitely more challenging. the textures are present, but the formula has been subverted.
these are sounds which bear repeated scrutiny. i read the liner notes, listen to the overlaid texts by werner buttner and mayo thompson, absorb the interactions of players and instruments. i am engaged, and this is appreciated. recommended.