Search - Roscoe Mitchell :: Sound Songs

With fellow Chicagoan Anthony Braxton, Mitchell was among the first improvising musicians to concentrate on developing a solo music. On this two-CD set of recordings from the '90s, Mitchell presses further, using overdubs on over half the pieces, a host of "little instruments," and his numerous reeds and flutes to create rich textures from his own resourcefulness. He excels in making complex sonic tapestries from isolated reed and percussion tones, pieces that will fascinate the close listener with sonic structures that seem both absolute and elusive. The remarkable "Full Frontal Saxophone" is a live performance on soprano saxophone in which Mitchell uses a circular breathing technique to create a continuous line and overtone techniques to create multiple lines. --Stuart Broomer