For this endeavor the mad Doctor Chadbourne performs with a deliciously irreverent pianoless Italian quartet. More structured than some of the other recordings by
Chadbourne, this one enjoys the impressive trumpet sounds of Ray Pacci, who seems to anticipate the guitarist's every move and adds a sort of
Lester Bowie sound to the proceedings. Pacci effectively uses mutes and grows, plus short emphatic blasts and guttural blats, to pave his way. At times sounding a touch like late Miles, at others like
Bowie, while always forging his own path, the trumpeter leads the procession with pomp and glory. With Jacopo Battaglia's hard core drumming and Massino Popillo's strong bass, the results are usually exciting and even thrilling at times. Overcoming some of the rambling that has characterized some of
Chadbourne's earlier projects, this one is highly focused post-modern jazz mixed with a touch of avant-fusion.
Chadbourne's electric guitar churns away and he leads the ensemble through dangerous terrain with barely a glitch. ~ Steven Loewy