Evan Parker & Barry Guy, Incision (side A)

Parker and Guy feel permanently bound in my mind from their long-running trio with Paul Lytton.  It's hard to picture a time in 1981 that predates this trio's existence.  Their collaboration on Incision is so intuitive, they feel like they've already been working regularly for a long time.  Within each of the 6 pieces the palette in use evolves, and the two instruments always seem to be drawing from the same textural range without ever overlapping or resorting to imitation.  Even Guy's arco bowing emerges sustaining, slowly-warping calls from Parker's saxophone.  While both players sometimes hint at a jazz vocabulary, the improvisations here consistently explore fluttery textures rather than a more accessible set of referents.  The sound of both instruments is fairly thin and bright—this is especially noticeable with Guy's bass lacking body.  His playing so emphasizes the subtle sounds created by his left hand that this odd sonic choice does mesh with and flatter his style.  The generic cover painting does not reflect the distinctiveness of the music contained here, but it is great to see photos of Parker and Guy at such a young age on the back cover.