Excerpt From Liner Notes by PEK

“… Third concert at a new venue… Third Life Studios in Somerville!  This is the small format Leap of Faith Orchestra performing pure improvisation with the largest ensemble without a score. For these shows we do a group of short sets by sub-units of the orchestra (this time four 15 minute quartets) and then a longer set (50 minutes) with everyone.

For Differentiations, I established just one rule – each player should lay out for 1/3 of the 50 minute duration… this simple rule was effective in guiding the improvisation through many different movements…”

 – PEK – 26 July 2017

Bruce Lee Gallanter Review

LEAP OF FAITH ORCHESTRA & SUB UNITS With PEK / GLYNIS LOMON / CHARLIE KOHLHASE / ERIC ZINMAN / BOB MOORES / YURI ZBITNOV / et al – Differentiations (Evil Clown 9152; USA) The first disc of this 2 CD set features four sub-units from the Leap of Faith Orchestra, all quartets, around 15 minutes each. The first sub unit consists of PEK on numerous reeds & percussion, Charlie Kolhase on saxes, Zack Grass on bass trombone & tuba and John Baylies on tuba. This quartet of two reeds players and two tubas work with the lower end of drones and long suspended notes. I dig the slow moving sounds found here that cautiously evolve together as one ever-expanding organic sound/force. The 2nd sub-unit (SU) consists of Eric Zinman on piano, Bob Moores on trumpet, Grant Beale & Drew Wesely on guitars. Mr. Moores has been an active member of several versions of Leap of Faith and sounds great here weaving his muted and unmated sounds with Mr. Zinman’s spiraling free piano cascades, eventually taking a soft landing to more restrained conclusion. SU3 is Glynis Lomon on cello & aquasonics, Silvain Castellano on bass, Bob Moores on trumpet and Yuri Zbitnov on drums & percussion. Most of this piece is quiet yet busy with occasional eruptions from the cello and percussion. Trumpeter Bob Moores is in especially fine form in the second half, burning the voodoo down like Raphe Malik liked to do when he had the opportunity. SU4 is PEK, Lomon on cello, Kohlhase on saxes and Yuri on drums. Since this quartet consists of three LoF founders, although it is freely improvised, it is especially tight and spirited. The second disc is an eleven piece version of the Leap of Faith Orchestra, smaller than their two previous sets/recordings but no less amazing. PEK has been utilizing a timing device to help shape the improvisations of the orchestra, which set limits for subgroups as well. And even with eleven members, the orchestra sounds like there is some (hand?) directed improv. This version of LoF remind me of a body of water like the ocean, starting off calmly before the waves start crashing. Everyone builds together exchanging ideas, combining forces in different groupings. There are a number of spirited solos from Ms. Lomon on cello, Mr. Zinman on piano, PEK on multiple reeds and Bob Moores on trumpet. Another OUTstanding offering from Dave PEK and the ever-evolving Leap of Faith crew!

Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery