Improvisation Without A Net

My ventures into the world of jazz rarely stray as far out as to encompass free improv but this disk, Tarfala, is pretty much in that vein. It is a live trio recording by bassist Barry Guy, Mats Gustafsson on temor and baritone sax and fluteophone and percussionist Raymond Strid. The booklet lists them all as composers but the four pieces performed sound spontaneous with little formal imposed structure that can be discerned. It is not an easy listen, particularly when Gustafsson is in his loudest, angriest flow of squawks and distortions. He tends not to "do" lyrical but there is much to be admired in the ferocity of his playing. Occasionally he will turn the volume down from eleven and there is delight to be taken from the interplay with Guy and Strid, who also contribute much thoughtful reaction to each others playing. They are not a rhythm section in the conventional jazz sense but continually improvise themselves. Guy is a master of the upright bass, both bowed and plucked and using advanced techniques to get sounds out of the instrument that are most unexpected. Without the benefit of visual clues, it is fun to imagine exactly what is being hit, shaken and caressed by Strid to produce the percussive effects that he contributes. Repeated listening causes some basic themes to very occasionally become more concrete. Is it fanciful to hear a bit of the beginning of Zawinul's In a Silent Way at one point ? I definitely got a glimpse of the main riff from Coltrane's A Love Supreme !