Fred Frith-Susana Santos Silva

Pure auditory compatibility, this almost 42-minute live set crystalizes the approaches considered by improvisers of different generations to respond to each other’s input without resorting to simple harmonies or rhythm. British guitarist Fred Frith, 74 has played with many exploratory international musicians over the past 50 years. Meanwhile Portuguese trumpet Susana Santos Silva, 44, has played with a similar cross section of improvisers since the early aughts.

Tasked with creating all needed sounds from only two instruments, both, especially the trumpeter, proceed through the spectrum of tempo, accents and cadences from barely-there to boisterous. Associate not accompanist, the guitarist thumps, detunes and stretches his strings. Distant bubbling and muted squeaks characterize Silva’s initial output with Frith’s sometimes Industrial-style frails and twangs slowly sliding downwards as brass impulses widen with triplet intensity. Ricocheting through body-tube murmurs and bee-buzzing drones textures shaken from Silva’s horn expand with half-valve expression as organ-like tremolo chords and string clangs confirm Frith’s more isolated and dissident guitar strategy. In contrast linear and lyrical asides aren’t neglected by the trumpeter even as she emphasized elevated squeals, with Frith’s shifts in that direction confined to vibrating folksy twangs. By the final sequence a rapprochement of unaccented air blown through the horn’s body tube and metallic string plinks slide individual expression into a dual, graceful unbroken horizontal line. Confirming dissension as well as cooperation Frith hit a few hard notes to contrast with Silva’s grace notes to conclude the piece.

Following the strategy throughout the program, the inflated and diffused timbres plus to-and-fro responses truly crystalize how together refined playing partners can corral noise demon outbursts into intervals of amalgamated composure.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Laying Demons to Rest

Personnel: Susana Santos Silva (trumpet) and Fred Frith (guitar)