PAUL DUNMALL SLAMCD 207 (Double CD)
Recorded at Lanes End Studio, Kidderminster, England, 13 and 14 September, 1993.
Disc one: Quartet and Sextet Paul Dunmall and Simon Picard tenor saxes; Paul Rogers double bass; Tony Levin drums. Plus Jon Corbett cornet and John Adams guitar on Track 6.
Tracks:
1 Dobunni 3m 18s
2 Moths and spiders 3 44
3 In the haddock 7 20
4 The devil’s chair 6 02
5 Scramasax 6 50
6 Apocalypse now and then 24 49
Disc two: Babu Trio Dunmall, Rogers and Levin
Tracks:
1 Lert 14 34
2 Trickly hausen 16 22
3 Shun fat 17 07
4 Separate balls 6 02
BBC Music Magazine, June 1994 Despite a distinguished UK-based career with the muscular straightahead jazz group Spirit Level, Danny Thompson's folk/jazz outfil Whatever, and improvising aggregations like Mujician and the London Jazz Composers' Orchestra, multi-reedsman Paul Dunmall has yet to receive the critical and commercial success he deserves. Possessed of a rich, full-bodied tone and great technical command, he is best heard - as on this double CD - in no-holds-barred improvising contexts, where his intense, occasionally volcanic virtuosity can be given free rein. Whether in a trio with Mujician's rhythm section (Rogers and Levin), or with the larger band of sympathetic fellow improvisers represented here, Dunmall consistently produces powerful and passionate music; all the more regrettable, therefore, that the soundbalance frequently places him too deep in the mix for this to be readily apparent. Thoroughly recommended, even so. Chris Parker
Time Out A self-titled double CD featuring one of the country's true virtuoso voices on saxophone. Dunmall's intense, Coltrane-inspired tenor, baritone, C Melody and soprano keep up a fierce, free-wheeling momentum, with the help of bassist Paul Rogers and drummer Tony Levin, with fine contributions by cornetist Jon Corbett, guitarist John Adams and fellow sax man Simon Picard. Linton Chiswick
Beyond Coltrane 2002 by Fred Barrett On this two-disc set, the second disc features Mujician without Tippett! I’m not sure whether I miss Keith Tippett or not, since the music is just as astounding, but I do find myself thinking about good ol’ Keith, wondering how the music would sound with him. So, it’s not that I miss him, it’s just that I wonder in what way the music would sound different. There’s much focus on rhythms with the trio, and I would have to say that the Mujician-style improvisations are near perfect. Dunmall truly holds his own without the need for another high-end voice—the piano. Disc one is quite interesting, too. It has a quartet consisting of two tenor saxes (Simon Picard is the other one) above the Rogers and Levin rhythm section. What makes the composed heads on this disc extraordinary is that Dunmall claims to have "whipped them up" at the last minute. Quite a talent to create such heads so quickly. On the final track of this disc, Dunmall adds a cornet and guitar to create a sextet. This track, "Apocalypse Now and Then," points directly to his octet discs, which would be future projects at the time Babu was created. This track possesses such freedom, and its composed nature intertwines on a massive scale. The guitar adds a different flavor to this track and Dunmall’s music in particular. I wonder how much work with guitar he has done? I’ll have to explore. Once disc one permeates your mind, works its way down deep, it’s time for the release of disc two. Of course, this is relative. There are no expectations for disc two, just pure improvisation. The two discs represent two sides of the same coin, and one needs the other to survive.
