Signal Maker

Everybody who is slightly interested in modern jazzknows the name of Mark Helias. The American doublebass player has worked with everyone from Ed Blackwell,Don Cherry and Carlos Ward to Anthony Braxton,Muhal Richard Abrams and Cecil Taylor.With Tom Rainey (dr) and Tony Malady (ts), Heliasfounded the trio OPEN LOOSE in 1996 to play hiscompositions which allow open form improvisation.As the three musicians get familiar with the piecesthey recompose them on the bandstand. "The mostinteresting developments come when we start alteringthe compositions in a creative way, maintaining thespirit of the piece but taking it somewhere else, into anunimagined place," says Helias. "Every time we cometogether it's different, it's new and wonderful."