For saxophonist and composer David S. Ware's second volume of solo unaccompanied performances for the AUM Fidelity label, He has chosen sets from two performances; first a private performance from Park Slope in Brooklyn, then his set from the Umbrella Music Festival in Chicago. Both of these are strong and vibrant performances, with Ware dividing time between the tenor and sopranino saxophones. “Minus Gravity 1" and “Minus Gravity 2" are taken from different concerts, but both feature the sopranino saxophone, which though small in size, makes a very distinctive tone, allowing Ware to swirl and sway in a very free and bird-like manner. The title “Minus Gravity" is apt, because it is as if he has been unshackled from the Earth's gravitational field, and his music is free to travel like a light beam across the Universe. He is able to shape and mold the music during both improvisations, allowing the music to seek its own freedom, while he keeps the guiding hand nearby. “Organica 1" and “Organica 2" are also aptly named, as tenor saxophone features, the feel like they have sprung like beautiful flowers from the deep, rich and fertile soil first sown by the likes of Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins. Ware's brawny tenor saxophone sound is a direct continuation of this lineage (in fact, he studied with Rollins for a brief time as a young man.) The earthy depth and his use of the entire range of the horn make both of these performances captivating. Unaccompanied free(ish) saxophone might seem like a difficult endeavor, but the great variety of sounds he can attain on his horns, from graceful swing to exotic tones to full out wailing are a wonder to behold. These extended improvisations never wander into noodling, nor are they repetitive. The extended musical canvas gives him the space and time needed for his ventures. David S. Ware remains one of jazz's most ardent musical explorers as demonstrated on this fine album, his creativity knows no bounds.
