Jason Robinson
Cerberus Reigning
Accretions
Granted, this guy’s a master of the saxophone. And this is the second release in a trilogy, and everyone knows trilogies have three times the material as a unigy. Not necessarily three times better, just three times more. It’s a tough listen through these 16 cuts: while they feature an improvisational saxophone with a strong jazz background, they also use droning electronic noises as a backdrop. It’s like walking down a street of factories, and finding one guy busking in front of the bus stop. “The Betrayal of Chiron (Synchronous Aether)” might be as good a place as any to look into the heart of Mr. Robinson. After the drone, a small flock of sax notes flitter around, hoping for a melody or at least a rhythm. The flatulent drone comes and goes and it sounds like someone is doing something horrible to a large piece of sheet metal in one of these faceless concrete buildings. Is there no one to ask directions? Can we get a bus to “Syrynx at the Edge of Night Fall”? At least here the drone is missing, but “Stillness Shattered” opens with a flatulent set of notes that does not prepare you for the title track “Cerberus Reigning.” This track exhibits the most traditional jazz line, with Robinson’s sax sampled and looped and graciously free of the drone. Someone once told me, “Signals are OK, but it’s the noise that tells you the interesting stuff.” Maybe that’s true here, but I have to leave now, my mother is calling.
Accreations: http://www.accreations.com
