Paul McCandless is the longtime reed player in the folk-jazz group
Oregon, while pianist
Art Lande is still probably best-known for his recordings for the ECM label. One can be excused for thinking that their collaboration on
Shapeshifter would be a bit sleepy but the opposite is true. Their playing in a quartet with bassist
Peter Barshay and drummer Allen Hall displays plenty of energy and constant invention. The music is a bit free in spots but well organized and always coherent and generally melodic.
McCandless, who plays five reeds, is heard mostly on soprano, and his interplay with
Lande sometimes borders on the telepathic, whether it be on one of the brief introspective pieces or the swinging advanced blues "Pietroglyph." Both
McCandless and
Lande are heard at their best throughout
Shapeshifter, a stimulating set well-worth acquiring. ~ Scott Yanow