Parker/Haslam/Edwards

/George Haslam/John Edwards.
Personnel: Evan Parker (soprano saxophone); George Haslam (baritone saxophone, taragato); John Edwards (bass).
Recorded at the Holywell Music Room, Oxford, England on September 3, 2000.
This CD is billed as a trio, but the only time Evan Parker, George Haslam, and John Edwards perform together is during the last 14 minutes. A one-off event, the concert they gave in Oxford on September 3, 2000, consisted of solos and duets, plus the aforementioned trio session. It was the first time the three of them met on-stage (for those who value the "premiere factor"). The album opens with two solos by Haslam, one on baritone saxophone, the other on tárogató, a Hungarian single-reed instrument. It is followed by a soprano saxophone solo by Parker. One can measure the distance between the two players: Haslam's round, polished sound and jazzy inflections are miles apart from his colleague's screechy cycles of notes (by the way, the latter released much better solos three months earlier on Lines Burnt in Light). The longest piece, 18 minutes, is a duet between soprano sax and double bass. Like the concluding trio, it features interesting moments, including good solo spots for Edwards. Nevertheless, this Parker Haslam Edwards holds no magic moment worth placing it on your must-have list. For all three players involved, it was a very average performance. The shaky artwork and design (the Slam label can definitely do better) don't help. ~ François Couture