A Performer's Objective Is To Put Everyone To Sleep

A Performer’s Objective Is To Put Everyone To Sleep

Rich West, drums, accordion, pieces; Dan Krimm, electric bass; Bruce Friedman, trumpet; Emily Beezhold, electric piano, Korg ms2000; Lynn Johnston, saxophones, clarinets The liner notes for this disc are basically intriguing scraps of anecdote and scores that look like they were originally constructed on cocktail napkins. There’s really no telling, but that may or may… Read more »

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NewMusicBox Staff

Rich West, drums, accordion, pieces; Dan Krimm, electric bass; Bruce Friedman, trumpet; Emily Beezhold, electric piano, Korg ms2000; Lynn Johnston, saxophones, clarinets

The liner notes for this disc are basically intriguing scraps of anecdote and scores that look like they were originally constructed on cocktail napkins. There’s really no telling, but that may or may not be all the instruction these talented musicians got. Rich West’s five-player band mixes up winds, brass, electronics, and percussion in a sort of zoo of an album, and though the players may be generally penned in under West’s directions, I’d be cautious of tossing them any peanuts. To illustrate this track, West confesses, “‘Come to my gig,’ I tell my girlfriend. ‘You can take a nap.'” And though the piano lulls us, anyone who can sleep to a lullaby that is also colored with tweaking electronics and scronking sax clearly took an Ambien before the set.

—MS