Fluid Architecture

Ray Russell: guitars and featuring Eric Baldwin: found sounds, sequential creativity, George Baldwin: bass, Chapman Stick, Chris Biscoe: tenor clarinet & soprano saxophone, Mo Foster: bass, Nic France: drums, Simon Phillips: drums, Ralph Salmins: drums, Jim Watson: keyboards. As part of an exploratory group of British 'jazz and beyond' musicians in the late 1960's, Ray Russell released a number of acclaimed and ultimately influential experimental albums; Dragon Hill, Rites & Rituals, Live At The I.C.A. and Secret Asylum. Based on the dates of these releases, he can claim to be, along with Sonny Sharrock, one of the earliest 'free' guitarists and his early work has been cited by today's noted experimentalists like Thurston Moore and Jim O'Rourke. Since then, Russell has enjoyed a freelance career composing award-winning TV soundtracks and working with artists ranging from Phil Collins to Gil Evans to Tina Turner to Andrew Lloyd Webber, but he remains a dedicated sonic explorer as well. His lines are not so much melodic variation, or even Coltrane-like walls of sound. Instead it is like a Pollock painting mounted with guitar pickups, the sound of explosions. Russell makes it sound as if the guitar is not enough... Jim O'Rourke... guitarists in particular should analyze carefully... excellent fretwork in the middle of a triangle whose corners are occupied by Jeff Beck, Phil Miller and Yo' Miles! Touching Extremes...  the album is essentially an explosive, spellbinding, and well-rounded musical event, where many of the hard-edged works encompass eloquent plot developments and tuneful theme-building maneuvers. All About Jazz