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IN STOCK
01. Mawja - Live 2
02. Mawja - Studio 2.1
03. Mawja - Studio 2.2
04. Mawja - Studio 2.3
ARTIST
TITLE
Old Dutch Masters
FORMAT
CD

LABEL
CATALOG #
SED 072CD SED 072CD
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
12/1/2023

Sedimental brings to light this long overdue release of material from 2007 of the distinctive and esteemed improvising trio Mawja (Mike Bullock, Mazen Kerbaj, and Vic Rawlings) during their residency at STEIM in Amsterdam (NL). Already established as highly respected improvisors, both Bullock and Rawlings being key figures in the fertile improvising scene of Boston codified as "lowercase" and Kerbaj instigating and synergizing the free music scene in Lebanon simultaneously, the trio came together in 2004 while Kerbaj was in the U.S. for the first time. Material was generated during Kerbaj's residency at STEIM in Amsterdam (with Bullock and Rawlings guests), yet these recordings never came to light as a formal release until now. These recordings sound as exciting and vital as ever, and complete the full audio record of this important project, providing an opportunity to re-assess the material on its own terms but also in the context of each of these respected and still active artists' careers, before and since. Musically the four tracks (one live long piece and three shorter studio excerpts), reveal the vigor and confidence of these players. This is pure improvised work, restrained but determined, that asks the listener to be the active fourth participant. The acoustic instruments of trumpet, contrabass and cello weave and hover and share equal weight with the electronic elements, often not clearly distinguished but fused, and then not. At the casual macro level, seemingly two dimensional, but at the microgranular level, quite active and multi-dimensional, encouraging increased listening volume. Kerbaj, also known for his art and illustrations, provides the artwork and drawings, playful and humorous, clearly a nod to the participants themselves and the trio as well.