The name Instant Composers Pool has become synonymous with the extended ensemble of Misha Mengelberg, closely identified with both his compositions and his amusing outlook on life. These associations mean the use of the name in conjunction with this early-'70s recording may wind up hiding a crucial and astonishing document of group improvisation. The German, Dutch, and British scenes come together for this extended piece of music, spilling over two sides and titled simply Groupcomposing. The players featured are some of the most famous and well respected from these countries, interacting in a hustle bustle of energetic attacks and contrasting moods that is bound to make fans of the European free improvisation scene jump up and down, and why not since the people downstairs are probably already horrified. Some of these listeners, again, think Instant Composers Pool and imagine written charts, somewhat similar to what Willem Breuker cooks up. This album is much more like the acclaimed Topography of the Lungs release from roughly the same era, and in fact that album's three participants are all on hand here: Derek Bailey playing electric guitar with a tone that will make listeners want to raid the fridge, Evan Parker demonstrating how to play frantically and subtly at the same time, and Han Bennink approximating a windstorm on percussion, all fairly well recorded for this period. Mengelberg is also more on the case than he often is in these types of settings -- he uses space, but does more than just sit back smoking and watching the others freaking out. Paul Rutherford is great on trombone, and so is the drummer's underrated brother Peter Bennink on both dangerously addled alto saxophone and preposterous bagpipe. Followers of this admittedly very challenging music all have their favorite events where the music just seemed totally inspired, one startling scenario developing after another on-stage. That, boy howdy, is just what this record is like. ~ Eugene Chadbourne, Rovi

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