Three nights into the experiment and there are points in the show where spirits sag a little and the muse is elusive. 3i1 is perhaps typical – sometimes coming together in dramatic manner then the various elements polarise and fall away. However, you'd be wrong to jump to any quick conclusions when it comes to this music. Take 3i2 for example. There’s a palpable uncertainty when it starts off and a cursory listener might be tempted to dismiss it and move onto something else. Yet it soon builds over one of Bruford’s enthralling rhythmic patterns and soundscape washes with Levin and Gunn each inserting small motifs to propel it into a sustained high-paced attack – Gunn’s solo is a jaw-dropper and the track turns out to be one of the highlights of the entire series of concerts. Who’d have thought it would turn out like that from that intro?
In the second set there’s a more consistent approach when it comes to netting the muse. 3ii3 demonstrates the importance of gaps and silence in this kind of music with Bruford supporting events via his patented brand of “admirable restraint.” 3ii4 rocks along with a snarling bass line from Levin, soaring and sweeping fuzz-tone exchanges from Gunn and Fripp, with Bruford constantly taking the rhythmic pulse and then moving it at will. The night finishes with a spectacular flourish with Bill getting things underway with the drum machine at a blistering tempo, Levin, the calm space inside all the fury, holds the groove with an iron grip as Gunn and Fripp do their thang.
Overall the third night wobbles a little more than the others but eventually balances itself out. Of course that element of hazard is in the very nature of these improvised shows, and if the musicians are prepared to take the risk then shouldn’t we?
