Artist: George Haslam
Title: Level Two
Cat Number: SLAMCD303
Year released: 1993
Format: CD & all digital platforms
Barcode: 5028386030317
Free improv quintet led by saxophonist George Haslam, who is joined by trombonist Paul Rutherford, pianist Howard Riley, bassist Marcio Mattos and drummer Tony Marsh, plus vocalist Liz Hodgson on two tracks.
George Haslam: baritone saxophone, tarogato
Paul Rutherford: trombone
Howard Riley: piano
Marcio Mattos: bass
Tony Marsh: drums
Liz Hodgson: vocals (tracks 2 and 7)
“George Hasam’s Level Two has been in existence, with various personnel changes, since 1987. It plays improvised music, a form Haslam describes as located between Level One (the performance of compositions) and Level Three (completely abstract sonic textures). Of course even this degree of specificity could allow Level Two’s repertoire to include the bulk of what is known as jazz but Haslam’s group, composed as it is of top-flight improvising musicians, actually concentrates on the freer end of the music embraced by the term.” – Chris Parker
“’This is modern group improvising at its best, sixties freedom refined and matured into a very personal and iridescent language.” – Jerome Wilson, Cadence