Not released until nine years after it was recorded, this is a very special collaboration between the freestyle improvisational unit, the quintet Mujician, and the 11-piece jazz group The Georgian Ensemble. The two conglomerations had not met before this recording, and in fact each were even unfamiliar with the work of the other. Even more curiously, there does not seem to have been any contact between them from the time of the recording to its release. Regardless of all this, the results are enervating and inspiring. The five British players (pianist Keith Tippett, saxophonist Paul Dunmall, bassist Paul Rogers, drummer Tony Levin, and vocalist and "honorary Mujician" Julie Tippetts) traveled behind the Iron Curtain to blend gorgeously with the Soviet ensemble, which consists of three trumpets, two trombones, three saxes, a guitar, and two vocalists. Keith Tippetts wisely brought with him written arrangements as a springboard, realizing that the culturally repressed Georgians might have difficulty with free improvisation. Incredibly, there are moments of incredible interaction between the two cultures, ranging from some remarkable work from Dunmall to smashing ensemble interaction to great vocal acrobatics. Admirers of the Mujician and the lively British free improv scene will not be disappointed, but the inclusion of the Georgians magnifies rather than restricts the overall sound. ~ Steven Loewy, Rovi

1		Brass Wind Bells
2		Thoughts to Geoff
3		Dedicated to Mingus/Tortworth Oak
4		A Loose Kite
5		Slowly the Sunrise
6		Cider Dance
7		The Irish Girl's Tear
8		Septober Energy

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