David S. Ware Trio - The Balance (Vision Festival XV +) (2018)

David S. Ware: tenor saxophone, saxello (on 5, 6)
William Parker: bass
Warren Smith: drums, tympanis/percussion (on 5, 6, 7)

=The Balance= is the fourth edition in the DSW-ARC Series; it presents an outstanding and incendiary David S. Ware concert, in trio with William Parker and Warren Smith. A tenor sax / bass / drums excursion displaying full vitality from the first note, this suite of spontaneous form was created at NYC’s Vision Festival in 2010. Ware had been a perennial at this vital annual gathering since its beginning; this was his first time back since the revered Quartet bid farewell there in 2006 [hear "Renunciation"], and it was an exhilarating return.

This DSW Trio convened only three times over their 10 month existence: the Dec. 2009 studio session for Onecept, =this= June concert, and the Oct. 2010 album release celebration at the Blue Note in NYC [documented on Live In New York, 2010].

Also included here are four out-takes from the Onecept session – all of which had been completed & considered for inclusion at that time. The three releases together present the =total work= which this group created.

Each of their three communions has its own flavor: Onecept deals exquisitely with s p a c e and features David on three different horns (tenor, stritch, saxello), with Warren Smith on tympanis/percussion in addition to drum set. The night at the Blue Note features the most extensive documentation of Ware on alto sax in existence (a straight version; the stritch), with the Mid & Far-Eastern tones he brought forth on the instrument blossoming beautifully over the course of two sets in an intimate setting. =This= festival stage concert is premier 21st Century free jazz rendered with the virtuosity and lucidity that only Ware (with his esteemed peers) could provide. An utterly complete treat.

CD is packaged in a very limited edition deluxe 6-panel digipak, with liner notes by Ware’s long-time producer, photographs from the concert, and the vivid witness painting on the cover, which was made during this performance.