ARCANA : BILL LASWELL | TONY WILLIAMS — Arc Of The Testimony (1997) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Arc of Testimony is one of the last recordings to feature legendary drummer Tony Williams, and its bold, experimental textures are a fitting epitaph to his career. Arcana was formed by bassist/producer Bill Laswell with the intention of exploring the outer reaches of fusion, ambient and free jazz. Like the group's debut, Last Wave (released only in Japan), Arc of the Testimony is a freewheeling, unpredictable blend of electronic and acoustic sounds. However, this record is even more adventurous, since it finds a common ground between improvisation and post-production studio trickery. All of the musicians -- Williams, Laswell, saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, saxophonist Byard Lancaster, cornetist Graham Haynes, guitarist Nicky Skopelitis and guitarist Buckethead -- are open-minded and help push the music forward, resulting in a thoroughly involving, challenging listen. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1    Black Money    4:16
2    Gone Tomorrow    9:39
3    Illuminator    6:07
4    Into The Circle    9:25
5    Returning    4:29
6    Calling Out The Blue Light    6:37
7    Circles Of Hell    7:15
8    Wheeless On A Dark River    4:27
9    The Earth Below    5:28
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], Bass Clarinet – Byard Lancaster (tracks: 4, 6)
Artwork – Yoko Yamabe
Bass [Basses], Electronics – Bill Laswell
Cornet – Graham Haynes (tracks: 2, 4)
Drums – Tony Williams
Guitar – Buckethead (tracks: 3, 5, 7, 9), Nicky Skopelitis (tracks: 2 to 8)
Songwriter [Songs Written By] – Tony Williams, Bill Laswell, Peter Apfelbaum (tracks: 1)
Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax] – Peter Apfelbaum (tracks: 1), Pharoah Sanders (tracks: 2, 7)

PHAROAH SANDERS | BILL LASWELL - With a Heartbeat (2003) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

OK, this sounds like a pretty hokey concept: Pharoah Sanders and some of Bill Laswell's Material crew perform along with recordings of a heartbeat, supplied by Dr. Jean-Louis Zink. Fortunately, it comes off far better in execution than one might expect. First off, the heartbeat itself is sonically treated to be more of a bass pulse, which Laswell then elaborates on when his bass is in the picture. As might be expected with Laswell, there are strong elements of dub throughout, from the sound of the basslines to the way the instruments fade in and out. Besides the heartbeat, which is always present to varying degrees, the main sounds are the guitar and electric sitar of Nicky Skopelitis and keyboards either by Jeff Bova or Laswell. Pharoah Sanders' playing is excellent, and the album is enjoyable, but one gets the sense that this is Laswell's project, and Pharoah just plays on it. If you're looking to start a Pharoah Sanders collection, begin with something from the Impulse catalog, like Karma or Thembi. As a Pharoah Sanders record, With a Heartbeat makes a fine Bill Laswell album. Sean Westergaard
Tracklist :
1    Across Time    17:06
2    Morning Tala    7:45
3    Alankara (Beats Of The Heart)    8:58
4    Gamaka    15:52
Credits :
Bass, Flute, Keyboards – Bill Laswell
Cornet, Electronics – Graham Haynes
Guitar, Sitar [Electric] – Nicky Skopelitis
Keyboards – Jeff Bova
Producer, Arranged By – Bill Laswell
Tabla, Voice – Trilok Gurtu
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Pharoah Sanders