LOUIS MOHOLO | EVAN PARKER | PULE PHETO | GIBO PHETO | BARRY GUY QUINTET - Bush Fire (1997) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

While Phule and Gibo Pheto may not be household words among avant jazz fans, the other three members of this ensemble should be well-known to all. The mere presence of drummer Louis Moholo, saxophonist Evan Parker, and bassist Barry Guy should and do guarantee a recording of very high quality. Add to that Gibo Pheto's highly individualized style of bass playing (that's right, two bassists) and the wooly, explosive pianism of Phule Pheto and you have a quintet worth raving about. Bush Fire is worth raving about for its execution certainly, but more important, it is the defined and near-symbiotic musical relationship between Moholo and Parker -- which drives these proceedings to their insanely feverish pitch -- that is perhaps most astonishing. Indeed, on each of the ten selections here, it is difficult to tell whom is leading whom, and the identities of the two players seem to become liquid and switch. For Parker's cascading multi-phonics that are at the heart of the title track, "Baobab," and "For Chisa," Moholo rolls through a knotty attack of snare accents and rim shots, only to be followed by Parker screaming a series of arpeggios in return. When Moholo rides the crash cymbal in an 11/18 time signature for a full three minutes on "Flaming July," Parker courses to the top of his ostinato speed with a phrase that is so gnarly it accents the rhythm of the drum. Meanwhile the rest of the band responds, not in kind, but in extremis, trying to keep the dynamics fluctuating and liquid, adding color and space wherever possible and solo as well. It's a breathtaking ride through the outer edges of free jazz, but it's one so musical, so lyrically brilliant, it could never be repeated. Thank the heavens for this recording.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1    Bush Fire    13:24
2    For Chisa    7:12
3    South Afrika Is Free - Ok?    11:48
4    Baobab    9:25
5    Mark Of Respect    4:18
6    Back Beat    6:26
7    Sticks    4:52
8    Coincidence    5:03
9    Flaming July    8:15
10    For Mpumi    8:03
Credits :
Bass – Gibo Pheto
Bass, Bass [Piccolo] – Barry Guy
Drums – Louis Moholo
Piano – Pule Pheto
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Evan Parker

FOXES FOX - Foxes Fox + Naan Tso (1999-2005) 2 Albums | FLAC (image+tracks+.cue), lossless

 This is apparently the first recording of the quartet consisting of Parker on both tenor and soprano saxes, Steve Beresford on piano, Louis Moholo on drums, and John Edwards on bass. It is a stunning document all the way around. Parker plays on only five of the nine tracks, but the members of the rhythm trio perform magnificently on their features. Beresford is an original improviser form the Cecil Taylor school, while Moholo adds a sophisticated air, and Edwards continues to show himself as one of the leading free-style bassists. Still, it is largely Parker's show, and although the saxophonist does not mine any new ground, he is in superb form. He plays mostly tenor, on which he blows more conventionally, though no less thrillingly than on soprano. A generous recording time just over 77 minutes is an extra bonus. Steve Loewy
Tracklist :
1     Wood on Wood 3:58
John Edwards / Louis Moholo
2     Amoebic Mystery 22:33
Steve Beresford / John Edwards / Louis Moholo / Evan Parker
3     Running (With Scissors) 6:36
Steve Beresford / John Edwards / Louis Moholo
4     Bird With a Shell 11:57
Steve Beresford / John Edwards / Louis Moholo / Evan Parker
5     Snail/Kite 4:20
Steve Beresford / John Edwards
6     Fox's Fox 3:55
Louis Moholo / Evan Parker
7     Foxes Fox 17:16
Steve Beresford / John Edwards / Louis Moholo / Evan Parker
8     Toast Sweat 3:25
Steve Beresford / Louis Moholo
9     Dog Bone D Flat 3:34
Steve Beresford / John Edwards / Louis Moholo / Evan Parker
Credits :
Double Bass – John Edwards (faixas: 1 to 5, 7, 9)
Drums, Cymbal, Timpani, Claves – Louis Moholo (faixas: 1 to 4, 6 to 9)
Music By – Evan Parker, John Edwards, Louis Moholo, Steve Beresford
Piano – Steve Beresford (faixas: 2 to 5, 7 to 9)
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Evan Parker (faixas: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9) 

 Foxes Fox - Naan Tso
(2005, psi – psi 05.07)

Recorded five years after Foxes Fox, this quartet's debut (released under the musicians' separate names with Evan Parker in the lead position), Naan Tso brings listeners up to date on these sly improvisers' adventures together and serves as a farewell to drummer Louis Moholo, who moved back to Cape Town, South Africa, in September 2005, after decades spent in exile in England. Naan Tso features four improvisations recorded at Steve Lowe's Gateway Studios. The whole quartet is heard on three of these pieces; pianist Steve Beresford sits out the slightly shorter "Slightly Foxed." With seasoned improvisers such as Parker, Beresford, Moholo, and John Edwards, there is no need to worry. Though the music is free to (and does) go anywhere, the listener usually knows what to expect -- and Naan Tso does not disappoint: dynamic playing, fierce exchanges between tenor sax and piano, delicate work from bass and drums, and a willingness to share collective fun with the listener. Free or not, Moholo always had that certain swing in his fingers (listen to his ride cymbal in the first minutes of "Renard Pâle," among other places). This jazziness permeates the music, crossing over from stage right to stage left to clash with Beresford's "classical pianist going through a breakdown" style. More often than not, that is the force field driving the music onward. Naan Tso may lack a bit in the surprise department, but it still offers a good, enjoyable session from a formation that has had very little exposure outside of England. You might want to get Foxes Fox first, though. François Couture
Tracklist :
1    Naan Tso    30:58
2    Slightly Foxed    8:43
3    Reinecke Gefettet    13:56
4    Renard Pâle    15:24
Credits :
Double Bass – John Edwards
Percussion – Louis Moholo-Moholo
Piano – Steve Beresford
Tenor Saxophone, Liner Notes – Evan Parker