AMN Reviews: FPR (Gratkowski / Greenlief / Raskin) – All At Once

No surprise in comparing this release to the Rova Sax Quartet. It features Jon Raskin, a founding member of that ensemble, as well as fellow saxophonists Frank Gratkowski and Phillip Greenlief. Recorded on two dates, one in 2007 and the other in 2010, this intrepid trio gives their instruments a workout across nine tracks.

Honestly, limited-palette releases like this can be hit or miss. But in the right hands, three saxes can offer a broad range of pitches and textures. Such is the case for All At Once. Whether improvised or composed, and it can be hard to tell how some of these tracks came about, FPR attacks each effort with gusto and poise.

Little from this recording might be mistaken for the conventional, with squeaks, drones, and contrapuntal melodies throughout. But nothing sounds thrown together or offered for convenience. A subtle and engaging release.