THE 1997 KLAPSTUK FESTIVAL IN LEUVEN, WHICH IS KINDA HALFWAY BETWEEN BRUSSELS AND THE BORDER WITH THE NETHERLANDS, SAW SEVERAL BIG NAMES IN THE WORLD OF FREE IMPROVISATION, EXPERIMENTAL JAZZ, MODERN COMPOSITION, AND OTHER GENERAL FLAVOURS OF NON-CONFORMIST MUSIC-MAKING COME TOGETHER FOR A 5 DAY JAMBOREE OF INTERPLAY AND MAYHEM.
ON EACH DAY OF THE FESTIVAL A DIFFERENT LINE-UP OF MUSICIANS COMPRISING SOME *BUT NOT ALL* (EXCEPT ONE TRACK) OF THE ABOVE-NAMED PERFORMERS IN A KIND OF SHAPE-SHIFTING EXPLORATORY VOLTRON. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY HAD A BRIEF TO PURSUE A PARTICULAR THEME OR FOLLOW ON FROM THE PREVIOUS SESSION (IT DOESN'T REALLY SOUND LIKE IT) OR WHETHER THE PROMOTER JUST SAID "HAVE A GREAT TIME OUT THERE U GUYS" AND THE PERFORMERS DID THE REST.
THE BEST STUFF IS THE STUFF WITH BELGIAN PERCUSSIONIST DIRK WACHTELAER; HE'S A GREAT DRUMMER BUT IMPORTANTLY HE IMPOSES SOME SEMBLANCE OF STRUCTURE ON MUSIC THAT GETS, FOR ME, A BIT ONANISTIC IN PARTS. FOR INSTANCE THE PIECE BETWEEN VETERAN SAMPLER DAVID SHEA AND JIM O'ROURKE SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE TUNING UP AND THEN A JAW'S HARP OR SOMETHING. UNEDIFYING.
TO BE HONEST MOST OF THE BEST STUFF HERE DOESN'T FEATURE O'ROURKE: THE TOSHINORI KONDO/WACHTELAER TRACK IS A JAM. THE SHOWPIECE MEETING OF SIX MINDS ON ONE TRACK SUFFERS FROM A TOO MANY COOKS/NOT ENOUGH CHIEFS THING.
IT'S FREE IMPROVISATION FOR FREE IMPROVISATION FANS AND THUS IT ISN'T FAIR TO EXPECT TRADITIONAL FORMS. I DID EXPECT TO HATE IT FROM THE OPENING 5 MINUTES BUT THERE ARE SOME TREATS SCATTERED THROUGHOUT, BUT NOT ENOUGH FOR ME TO THINK THESE GUYS MISSED A CHANCE TO BECOME THE HOT BAND OF THE 00S.
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