Search - Vinny Golia :: A Gift for the Unusual;Music for Contrabass Saxophone

Low sounds for open ears.

Troy Collins | Lancaster, PA United States | 05/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Multi-instrumentalist Vinny Golia has long been the West Coast avant garde's scene patriarch. Running his own label allows him to document projects of a conceptually limited scope that other labels might shy away from. An entire album of solo contrabass saxophone improvisations might sound tediously homogenous if it weren't for the fact that Golia is such a stellar reed player. Being the lynchpin of an entire scene has allowed Golia to enlist the cream of the crop of West Coast avant gardists to join him in exploring the myriad possibilities of this instrument. From chamberesque meditations to bluesy shuffles and angular boppish lines, there are no stylistic stones left unturned here. Small string sections, trombones, an upright bass and even a synth occasionally add to the mix, bolstering the big horn's range. For those with an ear for the tonally adventurous, this disc is nothing short of fascinating."