Fish Wool by Susana Santos Silva (tp), Yedo Gibson (ts, ss), Vasco Trilla (dr, perc)
https://jaccrecords.bandcamp.com/album/fish-wool
All tracks are improvised around a discernible theme. I’m not 100% sure but although these musicians from Portugal, Catalonia, and Brazil (respectively as ordered in title) have interacted in various ensembles this is, I think, their only release as a trio. To put this 2019 release in a historic context the noticeable influences are Ayler and Cherry. To my ears this feels less organic and more mechanical than either however that is in no way a criticism. The exploration within the framework of an existing paradigm can have equal or even more value than the pioneering earlier works. I’m not going to come right out and say this is definitely on that level but I do think it might be. This isn’t flashy music. I get that a cautious review might not be that intriguing but music that falls in the middle like this takes time to get to know. I’m a huge fan of Silva so I will be returning to this. I encourage all fans of free jazz and improvised music and even composed atonal music to tune in. She’s in a very elite group of the best of the best in a time that is absolutely saturated with incredible talent. Branch, Roberts, Halvorson, Silva. It’s a woman’s world out there but it wouldn’t be nothing without a man and a boy.