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ZAUM is a collective of free spirits led by drummer Steve Harris who resides in that hot bed of the “too weird and far out”, Dorset. Harris is part of the Safehouse collective (also see last years’ Unsafe 2) along with other ZAUM members Geoff Hearn (sax), Cathy Stevens (violin), Kathy Wimhurst (Clarinet), Udo Dzierzanowski (guitar) from Berlin and electroacoustic scientist, Adrian Newton. Not content with pulling together musicians with such disparate backgrounds, to ensure there’s as much non-jazz, Andrea Parkins (accordion/sampler) and guitarist Jim Black joins the group.

All this jazz and improvisation talk might put you off but it’s not that “difficult” as this set interweaves all sorts of influences form classical and cinematic themes to “world music” to electronica of a Madtone nature.

Particularly impressive is ‘From Dancing Ledge’, which builds almost imperceptibly and features the clarinet and violin with elements of downtempo Daedelus.

Hearn has a wealth of rock, jazz, Yoruba and Japanese Shakuhachi experience and on the ‘He
Knows How To Drive But He Never Goes Far’ (inspired by a line from a Terry Riley track) starts Indo-jazzish, then moves into a Turkish sounding groove (or is that a snake charmer?) and finally gives way to proper free-style.

‘Juarez’ uses an accordion sample from ‘Janey’s Air’ by Ian Lowthian. Another Daedelus style link remembering Madvillain used a sample of his accordion on Madvillainy, but this is no hip hop instrumental material. Or is it? Lowthian’s Scottish folky sample gets a cut up treatment, the mournful sax and clarinet join the whaling electronics as Harris goes minimal (if not broken!) You get the idea of cross-genre inspiration?

And if you think that’s emotional, try ‘Winter Everywhere’ with its operatically dark choir and the cinematic minimalism of ‘Watt’s Curve’ (reminiscent in parts of early ENO/Fripp ambient workings; the bargain No Pussyfooting being my favourite).

So no big finish then. Totally controlled. Not at all what the common perspective of ‘free’ jazz is all about at all. Harris never goes for the big “look at me” drum style on this album (note: RIP Max Roach last week) and the music is far more diverse and downtempo than you’d imagine.

I missed the ZAUM’s gig with Tim Berne’s Paraphrase back in March but I don’t intend to make the same mistake again. Some live dates have been arranged to promote the album (as below) and I can’t wait to see you there.

Forthcoming Live Dates:
Friday 28th September — Lighthouse, Poole
Wednesday 31st October — Open House, Springfield Rd. Brighton.

Friday 9th and Saturday 10th November — Unsafe 3 inc Jan Kopinski / Steve Harris: 3rd UNSAFE Festival of Experimental Music at Lighthouse, Poole Centre for the Arts.

Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Juarez’, ‘Winter Everywhere’, ‘Watts Curve’

Reviewed: ZAUM — I Hope You Never Love Anything As Much As I Love You (Amazon Records) Cat. No AMAZCD14 Released: August 2007
Improvisations recorded live in performance at St. Aldhelm’s Church, Poole, Dorset 21st October, 2006.
4. Title is a line taken from the Terry Riley composition ‘Uncle Jard’ and is used with the composers’ permission.
5. Accordion sample from ‘Janey’s Air’ with kind permission of Ian Lowthian.
1 & 6: Vocals — Fliss Kingston , Julie Harris , Kathie Prince , Tina Leeming
Tracklisting:
1 Rise In Sin (6:48)
2 From Dancing Ledge (7:55)
3 Rieds Palace (1:43)
4 He Knows How To Drive But He Never Goes Far (9:16)
5 Juarez (12:21)
6 Winter Everywhere (2:14)
7 Watt’s Curve (15:45)

Links:
Zaum at www.steve-harris.info
www.last.fm/music/Zaum
www.andreaparkins.com
www.steroid.dircon.co.uk
www.ianlowthian.co.uk
Poole Beer Festival, St. Aldhelms Centre, Poole Rd, Branksome — 26th & 27th October 2007.
www.eastdorsetcamra.org