Collateral by Collateral (Shalabi/Adams/Crofts)

Something of an eastern-Canadian all-star trio, this group originally released this live recording on their spring 2018 Canadian tour. After their stop in Calgary, where they played a killer set for the Bug Incision Presents concert series at High Line Brewing, BI head honcho Chris Dadge offered to give a little more exposure to a recording that definitely deserves it. Montreal/Cairo-based oud & guitar player Sam Shalabi should be no stranger to anyone reading this, thanks to his work with Land of Kush, the Shalabi Effect, and The Dwarfs of East Agouza (to name a few). He covers a lot of ground overall, but his offering here is his instantly recognizable brand of guitar mangling: a precise, tightly coiled style typified by his use of de-tuned strings and an arid, unfussy tone. Norm Adams (cello) and Tim Crofts (piano) are major figures in the Halifax scene, and both prolific collaborators as well as holding down positions at a few key Nova Scotian institutions. Adams is the artistic director of suddenlyLISTEN, the centre of improvised and avant-garde music in Halifax, and has worked with many notable international improv heavyweights including Marilyn Crispell, Evan Parker, and Joëlle Léandre. Crofts not only co-directs suddenly LISTEN with Adams, but is also a faculty member at both Dalhousie University and the Halifax Jazz Festival's Creative Music Workshop. His previous playing partners include the likes of Fred Frith, Eddie Prevost, and Gerry Hemingway. Between the three of them they possess a seemingly endless flow of ideas and an extremely high level of musicianship, occasionally creating moments that seem composed, but are indeed the product of their fierce commitment to the act of free improvising. Recommended. (Jonathan Ronler)

The Calgary, Alberta, Canada-based label Bug Incision has been operating since 2005, and has released over 50 albums from artists around the world.

See www.bugincision.com for availability and ordering info for physical copies.

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