2023 PEK Note

My Grandmother was a painter who painted hundreds of landscape paintings of the mountains and wilderness of Idaho. She was fairly well known in the area for her work. My grandfather was generally not an artist, but he travelled around with her when she was painting. He did make some woodcarvings and he painted one painting that I know of, which I used as the cover art for this recording, “Man’s Descent to Hell”… This album was dedicated to Earl Peck who passed not long before this performance.

Bruce Lee Gallanter Review

LEAP OF FAITH [PEK/GLYNIS LOMON et al] – Mans Descent To Hell (Evil Clown; USA) Featuring Dave Peck a/k/a PEK on saxes,clarinets & bassoon, Glynis Lomon on cello & voice, James Coleman on theremin and Tatsuya Naktani on percussion. Recorded in 2000. The two constant members of Leap of Faith are Dave PEK and Glynis Lomon. Ms. Lomon you might recall from her work with Bill Dixon. James Coleman is a Boston-area-based thermin player who has worked with Bhob Rainey, Greg Kelley and other members of the BSC. Percussion master Tatsuya Nakatani was based in Boston around this time and has worked with a large number of like-minded improvisers world-wide: Eugene Chadbourne, Mary Halvorson, Michel Doneda and Peter Kowald. The first thing that stands out here is strange, haunting voice of Ms. Lomon which is well-matched by her cello and whichever reed instrument (clarinets or bassoon) the Mr. Peck is playing. Mr. Nakatani takes his time, carefully working with his cymbals, rubbing, banging, bowing and playing drum(s) as well. The interplay between reeds, cello and percussion is often intense, always spirited. PEK plays some strong unaccompanied solo bari sax at the beginning of the long, second piece and title track. Soon Ms. Lomon’s scary cello, the theremin and percussion are added as the full quartet erupts. Ms. Lomon occasionally reminds me of LaDonna Smith when she does her bizarre vocal madness. An electric bassist named Seth Louis is added on the third track and last piece features PEK on solo contrabass clarinet. Another strong date for the under-recognized Leap of Faith band

Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery