Here is another issue of the audiocassette magazine Tellus, number 15 to be exact. The theme is on Improvisation and features many of the lead innovators of the avant-garde jazz and new music scene of the 80s.

Tellus’ survey of the improvisatory arts was recorded at The Stephanie and Irving Stone Festival of Improvisers in New York City on November 8, 9, and 10, 1985. The participants included John Zorn, Fred Frith, Lindsay Cooper, Carol Emmanuel, Bill Frisell and others. The first track, a duet between guitarist Chris Cochrane and Anthony Coleman on electric organ, typifies the fascinating controlled chaos that I like in the avant-garde and especially in avant-garde jazz. Henry Cow members Cooper and Frith are always creative and can be heard to good effect on tracks 3 and 5. Guitarist Frisell and Trombonist Jim Staley gives my favorite performance of the set on track 6. Finally the album ends with a bit of an all-star session the includes Zorn, Frith, Cooper, and Ikue Mori. Overall this is an interesting album of intelligent, if sometimes challenging, improvisation.

The album is available in 192kbps from Ubuweb.

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