EVAN PARKER AND NED ROTHENBERG at ZURCHER GALLERY, nyc, APR 5
- photography by ©Clara Pereira / text by Filipe Freitas
On Thursday, April 5th, two amazing improvisers, British saxophonist Evan Parker and American multireedist Ned Rothenberg, packed the nice space offered by Zurcher Gallery in Manhattan’s Lower East Side.
The performance was an extraordinary timbral oddity filled with pirouetting and contrapuntal stunts, unequivocal runs, cathartic solo acts propagated by circular breathing, and elliptical phrases that go straight into your brain.
Bright, busy, and freely improvised, this act carried a special feeling since it was integrally dedicated to the unparalleled free jazz pianist Cecil Taylor, who passed away on the same day.
Alternating between tenor and soprano saxophone, Parker discharged revolutionary whirls with an outstanding technique and purity of sound, while Rothenberg wielded his reeds (alto sax, clarinet, and bass clarinet) with confidence, showing an excellent ability to work the atmospheres. Whether dialoguing or embarking on personal whims, the artists spellbound the audience, which presented them with massive ovations.