Philip Gibbs & Paul Dunmall - Master Musicians of Mu

Unique free jazz duo performances from Paul Dunmall - border pipes (track 1, 5), soprano saxophone (2, 8, 9), tenor comemeuse (3), double bamboo pipe (4), tenor saxophone (6), soprano comemeuse (7) and Philip Gibbs - acoustic & electric guitars. Recorded at Victoria Room Studio, Bristol, 12 Nov 1999 & 21 Jan 2000.

Press:

Formidable reed player Paul Dunmall. - Julian Cowley, The Wire

On the saxophone pieces - which, according to Bruce Coates's notes, are 'more directly dialogical' - the roles are clear: guitar accompanies horn. On tenor, Dunmall's pointed sound and rapid-fire lines build up around an electric guitar that moves from Bill Frisell's work on The Big Gundown to wildly eccentric rockabilly. But then the duo allows a spare, simple beauty to emerge; they're unafraid of momentary pleasures, a beautiful tone, perhaps or a lyrical line. Gibbs is a hardy companion; part-time percussionist, melodist, and rhythm-maker, without much prompting he's driving the pieces along, incessantly feeding Dunmall volleys or whispers, fuzz or cleanly plucked strings, whatever the moment needs. - Greg Buium, Cadence