Title:               Hard-Boiled Wonderland

 By:                  Vijay Anderson

 Released in:   2010

 Format:          CD

 Catalog No:    MW 836-2

 EAN:               5901549185027

 Price:             12 EUR

Tracklist:

1. Hard-Boiled Wonderland

2. East Oakland Reverie

3. A Few More Hands (for Richard Grossman)

4. Interlude

5. Skittering

6. Dilatation

7. A Widow's Last Penny

8. Swimming in a Black Well

9. Nix

10. March at the End of the World

 

Line-up:

Vijay Anderson - drums, bowls

Sheldon Brown - alto, tenor & soprano saxophones

Ben Goldberg - clarinet, contra alto clarinet in E-flat

Ava Mendoza - electric guitar

John Finkbeiner - electric guitar

Smith Dobson V - vibraphone

 

Recorded:

mixed and mastered on February 26, 2008 at the New Improved Recording, Oakland, CA

​

What the critics say:

Featuring Sheldon Brown saxes, Ben Goldberg on clarinets, Ava Mendoza & John Finkbeiner on electric guitars, Smith Dobson V on vibes and Vijay Anderson on drums & direction. I can recall West Coast drummer Vijay Anderson from a few discs he did with Adam Lane & a recent CD with Lisa Mezzacappa on Clean Feed. This sextet features two working trios that Vijay performed with in the Bay area during 2007 & 2008. This disc combines both trios with Mr. Anderson as the main instigator who suggested different combinations of musicians for each piece. Although this work is improvised, there appears to be much more going on here. The title track is first and it is the longest with layers in interconnected parts. I found this piece to be quite magical with different musicians floating in waves around one another, yet there are sections where certain structures or moods take over and evolve from there. I don't know Mr. Finkbeiner but do remember Ms. Mendosa from a trio called Bolivar Zoar that played at The Stone. Each piece has something special going on. "East Oakland Reverie" features haunting bass clarinet, hypnotic vibes and other precarious vibes. There are also a few trios and duos which change the aura somewhat. "A Few More Hands" is for vibes, alto clarinet & alto sax and it has a slower, more cerebral feeling. Another trio for clarinet, guitar & drums shifts the dialogue in different ways and is more animated & intense. Each combination of musicians shows a different approach and each one is successful in different ways. Vijay Anderson doesn't even play on a few on the pieces yet he keeps things moving and interesting throughout. 

 

(Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery)