From December 2005 "The Wire" as reviewed by Art Lange:
The smart one-word titles of the nine pieces on this disc, all relating to some form or degree of impermanence, reflect the thoughtful mindset of these three improvisors presently ensconced in North Carolina, of all places. Modest, low key and intensely focused, their music translates Bivin's muted guitar tones, Ghaphery's shadowy saxophone mutterings and Davis's frictional percussives into complementary gestures of admirable restraint. They frequently start with delicate etchings of abstract sound and gradually grow more assertive. However, no matter how briskly argued or discordantly splintered, their ideas are drawn towards each other, as if magnetically charged. Even more to their credit, they seldom overstay their welcome."
From January 2006 Cadence <www.cadencebuilding.com> as reviewed by Marc Medwin:
"For its latest releases, Ian Davis' Umbrella Records, home of the Micro-East Collective, offers up two diametrically opposed slabs of pan-idiomatic trio improv; yet, despite their differences, each of these two discs demonstrates a broad stylistic and sonic pallet.
(1) Much of the Ghaphery/Bivins/Davis exists somewhere between the hushed but poignant improvisation coming out of Japan and the Jazz-inflected musings of 1990s Spontaneous Music Ensemble. Ghaphery's expert use of multiphonics often rival, but do not eclipse, similar practices by John Butcher, while Bivins'guitar and Davis' percussion rattlings, scarpings, and bowings conjure memories of the various Meeting at Offsite releases. Much of what was formerly called Onkyo's space, silence, and pitchplay is here as well, "Almost" opening with some microtonal dialogue around E-flat. The track is replete with pitched wind from Ghaphery, supported by shimmers, squeaks, and other sympathetic rustlings from guitar and percussion; this procedure has its apotheosis in "Partly," where the drone becomes the texturally dominant and unifying factor. "Nearly" picks up where "Almost" left off, much of the playing here more reminiscent of the newest Unstalbe Ensemble disc rather than resembling anything on Bivins/Davis duo "Benthic."
With "Quite," the tribal hypnotism of post-rock is invoked by Davis' subtle but rhythmic drumwork, Ghaphery even achieving multiphonics on flute, and yet the full-on assault is saved for the final track, all blowing loud and convincingly free, Bivins pulling off some beautifully reiterated quick licks in the motivic style of late Trane. The acoustic is somewhat dry, but this allows for increased exposure of textural detail."
From November 2005 ParisTransatlantic <www.paristransatlantic.com> as reviewed by Dan Warburton:
"Almost. Nearly. Quite. Just. Barely. Partly. Approximately. Close. Once. A good set of synonyms and near synonyms that neatly sum up what improvised music's all about, that elusive moment where for some often inexplicable reason, it happens (what "it" is is often a subject of heated debate, too). Guitarist Jason Bivins, who many of you will know as one of the smartest journalists writing on new music in the USA (though don't hold that against him), is well-versed in all kinds of music, Metal included, but in recent times he's been poking through the ashes of reductionism with his frequent sparring partner Ian Davis on percussion, notably in the Unstable Ensemble, whose recent Family Vineyard outing Embers is also well worth checking out. The discovery here is saxophonist / flautist Jimmy Ghaphery, from up the road in Richmond, Virginia. In the quieter pieces he's absolutely at home exploring the subtlest of nuances of breath and attack (shades of Jack Wright), but from time to time reveals evidence of the monstrous technique Bivins hints at in his liners when he talks of the "big free blowout" of their first meeting. Nothing is quite what it seems here: Davis is not averse to the odd groove ("Quite") and Bivins even throws some recognisable jazz chords in the pot, with Ghaphery twittering merrily away on flute like a latterday Eric Dolphy talking to the birds. Some improv purists might be put off by the music's stubborn refusal to slot itself neatly into one of the established improv sub-genres, but that's precisely what makes Impermanence such a rewarding listen."
From December 2005 Bagatellen <
www.bagatellen.com> as reviewed by Brian Olewnick:
"The trio of Jimmy Ghaphery (tenor and alto saxophones, flute), Bagatellen’s own Jason Bivins (guitar) and Ian Davis (percussion) produce, perhaps not surprisingly given the instrumentation, the most overtly jazz-referential music of the three discs. Bivins, unlike in much of his playing with the Unstable Ensemble, here tends toward the use of clear, clean, watery notes sounding, on the opening track "Almost", more than a little like the dreamy Robert Fripp of "Moonchild" (!!!) while on "Just" he briefly summons forth the spirit of Zoot Horn Rollo. Ghaphery often occupies the breathier reaches of his horns (though quite capable of more guttural, roaring work) while Davis, always a colorful player, is unafraid to inject the oddly buoyant, semi-regular rhythm into the mix, even nudging the band toward a degree of funk here and there. For all their ability to take things out into a fiery free jazz realm ("Nearly"), the trio seems most comfortable in an area between Jimmy Giuffre (hmmm….scarily close name, there) and eai, floating in a space not entirely abstract, grounded but open to more elusive possibilities. References flicker in and out (the end of "Close", for instance", is quite reminiscent of the final moments of the Art Ensemble’s "Fanfare for the Warriors") but they’re slippery enough to serve as wise nods rather than distractions."
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