Two or Three, by Mars Williams, Katinka Kleijn, Rob Kassinger

Two or Three

by Mars Williams, Katinka Kleijn, Rob Kassinger

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releases August 25, 2023

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Limited Edition Compact Disc
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Comes in heavy duty card stock digipak with artwork by Bill Harris and liner notes by Frances Adkins

Includes digital pre-order of Two or Three. You get 1 track now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it’s released.

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	1.	For Two Or Three Instruments I 05:35
	2.	Improvisation I
	3.	For Two Or Three Instruments II
	4.	Improvisation II
	5.	For Two Or Three Instruments III

about

On April 3, 2017 Mars Williams, Rob Kassinger and Katinka Kleijn performed the World Premiere of Pauline Oliveros' "For Two or Three Instruments" which was completed shortly before her death in 2016.

Commissioned by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's MusicNow Series, these longtime collaborators reached deep into their musical dream boxes, initiated by the great Oliveros and shaped by the powerful riches and history of Chicago's musical womb. Saxophonist Mars Williams is a living free jazz and rock legend (The Psychedelic Furs, Peter Brötzmann, Ken Vandermark, Liquid Soul, Hal Russell's NRG Ensemble, 'an Albert Ayler Xmas'). CSO bassist Rob Kassinger (Silk Road Ensemble, Woody Herman Band, Teldec) grew up touring in his father's jazz band and regularly trades Orchestra Hall for Andy's jazz bar. And CSO cellist Katinka Kleijn (International Contemporary Ensemble, SONY Japan, Drag City Records) performs freely across the genres of classical, experimental, improvisation, and performance art.

In March 2018 the trio booked Chicago's Elastic Arts venue to capture Oliveros' work in a series of versions, adding improvisations inspired by For Two or Three Instruments. In true Oliveros' style, these collaborations are guided by her Deep Listening practice, opening up possibilities of the musicians' reactions to her typical explorative and self-assessing way. These musical travels therefore can not be typified by the word improvisation alone, but perhaps can invite the listener into three minds constantly assessing in real time how to interpret Oliveros' directions while creating material that may be a reaction, an initiative or both. While one might argue this is what improvisation is, Oliveros is brilliant in creating a very specific space to musically live in, as the worlds of composition and improvisation are currently becoming accepted as so rightfully intertwined.

To simultaneously receive and send, is a highly crafted brain space that musicians uniquely culture and polish with their lifetime. No words or visuals can truly describe it, but you may be able to enter it if you let yourself be transported with this record.

credits

releases August 25, 2023

Mars Williams - reeds
Katinka Kleijn - cello
Rob Kassinger - bass

"For Two Or Three Instruments"
Composed by: Pauline Oliveros
Courtesy of PoP and MoM
PoPandMoM.org

Recorded live at Elastic Arts, Chicago, by Caleb Willitz.
Mixing and mastering by Caleb Willitz.
Improvisations I and II ℗ Music From Mars (BMI)
R Kassinger Music (ASCAP)

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Mars Williams Chicago, Illinois

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