Review by Brucee Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery

LEAP OF FAITH [PEK/GLYNIS LOMON/JAMES COLEMAN/YURI ZBITNOV] – Hierarchies (Evil Clown 9038; USA) This disc features two long pieces: a quartet with PEK on clarinets, saxes & bassoon, Glynis Lomon on cello & voice, James Coleman on theremin and Yuri Zbitnov on drums plus a rare duo just PEK and Glynis Lomon. It was recorded in April of 2001. If the name James Coleman sounds familiar, it is because he has worked with a number other Boston-area based players like Greg Kelley, Tatsuya Nakatani and Bhob Rainey. He also appears on a few discs from this, the Evil Clown label with Leap of Faith or Equilibrium. This quartet version of Leap of Faith is in fine form, especially since they were sharing the bill with the legendary free/jazz trio, The Fringe, who have been around for some forty-plus years!  Intense, focused and consistently spirited. Since Pek, Ms. Lomon and Mr.  Zbitnov, have played together for so long they sound completely connected from the start.   Mr. Coleman takes his time to finally enter the fold. One of the highlights of both Leap of Faith sets in New York was the consistently strong playing by their drummer, Yuri Zbitnov. He sounds equally amazing here. The long opening piece evolves organically which includes some those wacky vocals which always make me smile. There are sections when the band lays back and slowly builds to a grand conclusion. Another bizarre and outstanding trip from the unstoppable Leap of Faith.

– Bruce Lee Gallanter – Downtown Music Gallery