Review by Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

LEAP OF FAITH [GLYNIS LOMON/PEK/CRAIG SCHILDHAUER] – Elliptical Eccentricity (Evil Clown 9000; USA) Featuring Glynis Lomon on cello & voice, Pek on saxes, clarinets, bassoon & voice and Craig Schilhauer on bass.  This disc was recorded at the Addis Gallery in Cambridge, Mass in 1995 or 1996. Many of the dozen plus discs from Leap of Faith consist of a duo (Pek & Lomon) or a trio. This session features the core trio with bassist Craig Schildhauer added. Once again, this disc consists of two long pieces (43 & 20+ minutes respectively). Also, like all of the discs on the Evil Clown label, the production/recording is clean and warm and free of any sort of manipulation after the fact. I am not sure if Leap of Faith recorded all their gigs but at a dozen or so discs released, this would make sense. This version of Leap of Faith is particularly strong, focused and inspired. There players sound like old friends have a long and stimulating conversation. Ms. Lomon’s occasional and odd vocals often add bits of humor or just plain weirdness to this music which keeps things from getting too serious of far out. There is quite a bit of common ground or at least a bond between Ms. Lomon and Mr. Pek as they often improvise in similar ways, exchanging ideas, completing each other’s sentences and sounding like one combined force of nature. Time to check out another chapter of Leap of Faith.

Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery