Arika  Archive Menu
Accessibility Settings

text size

colour options

monochrome muted color dark

reading tools

isolation ruler
Bhob Rainey, Jason Lescalleet & Greg Kelley backstage at INSTAL 06

Nmperign + Jason Lescalleet

Nmperign + Jason Lescalleet

What we said at the time…

Nmperign are the Boston duo of soprano saxophonist Bhob Rainey and trumpeter Greg Kelley. It’s difficult to really say what scene exactly Nmpergin fit into, and I guess that’s partly why they’re so interesting; they kind of sit out with most categorizations of improvisation, existing almost entirely on their own but with an interest in reductionism, electro acoustics and free jazz. Previous recordings, and indeed the live sets that I’ve seen, display a kind of chiselled intensity to their improvising: the duo’s techniques are seriously extended, and I’m often not really sure where those techniques might have come from; their music is full of refracted brass and wind tones, dead silent air and the occasional piercing shard of sound. So it’s a surprise to hear their collaboration with Jason Lescalleet, who they’ve been playing live with for almost seven years now, and who seems to be both wildcard and crucial element to their trio playing, using tape loops to pull the focus and shift the horn players into unfamiliar territory. It’s still incredibly concentrated, but alongside a capacity for some tight quiet improvisation and beautiful hypnotic, swirling and aerated drones, (which breather with the rasping pulse of vibrating metal), Lescalleet also elicits moment of in your face, involved and quite frantic noise, shrouded in a glistening, granular darkness.

This is their first performance together in the UK.

Documentation

11 images, 1 video, 1 audio
Audio Recording
Download
Copyright © 2006
Close up of Greg Kelley playing a trumpet, Bhob and Jason in the background

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Trio: a man on the floor adjusts a knob, trumpet and sax players on chairs

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Trio: everyone looking down, at the floor, at knobs, at microphones

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Greg Kelley holding a mute to the trumpet, jason on the floor, greg with sax

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

nmperign with jazon lescalleet kneeling. Pink light and wind instruments

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

jason lescalleet adjusting a mixer in pink light

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Close up of a man's hands adjusting a mixer, he is wearing a watch

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

bhob rainey holds a bent soprano sax against his leg near another man's head

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Greg Kelley about to play a trumpet, lit from behind

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Bhob Rainey playing a soprano saxophone in pink light

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Greg Kelly holds a piece of metal against the bell of his trumpet, strong light

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Close up of Greg Kelley playing a trumpet, Bhob and Jason in the background

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Trio: a man on the floor adjusts a knob, trumpet and sax players on chairs

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Trio: everyone looking down, at the floor, at knobs, at microphones

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Greg Kelley holding a mute to the trumpet, jason on the floor, greg with sax

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

nmperign with jazon lescalleet kneeling. Pink light and wind instruments

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

jason lescalleet adjusting a mixer in pink light

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Close up of a man's hands adjusting a mixer, he is wearing a watch

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

bhob rainey holds a bent soprano sax against his leg near another man's head

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Greg Kelley about to play a trumpet, lit from behind

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Bhob Rainey playing a soprano saxophone in pink light

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

Greg Kelly holds a piece of metal against the bell of his trumpet, strong light

▴ Credit: Bryony McIntyre

?
This site uses cookies for analytics. See our Privacy Policy for more. OK Opt out
×