Beeferman / Hess / Nilsson / Ilgenfritz / Gold Four Parts Five CD

Four Parts Five is a quintet tour de force that takes virtuosic rhythmic ensemble playing to a new level. It's a densely harmonious, frequently hair-raising, and deeply groovy piece of music which gives nods to such varied composers as Gyorgy Ligeti and Count Basie. New York-based composer Gordon Beeferman has created a diverse body of adventurous work spanning opera, orchestral, chamber, and vocal music, avant-jazz, free improvisation, and collaborations with dance and other arts. Performed by an ensemble consisting of Beeferman, Peter Hess, Anders Nilsson, James Ilgenfritz, and Adam Gold, the album's four pieces showcase tight, disciplined ensemble playing that spans the sparse, punctuated spaces of Part 1 and the spiraling, expansive curls of Part 4 with equal facility.