The quartet was created to explore the my graphic scores and develop group improvisation sound. It has had a rotating caste of members: Liz Allbee—trumpet/electronics, George Cremaschi—bass / electronics, Jon Raskin—alto / bari / electronicx, Gino Robair—drums/electronics/piano, John Shiurba— electric guitar and Ches Smith—drums. There are two recordings that have been released of our work: The Jon Raskin Quartet on Rastascan Records and Open Box on Tzadik that is a collaboration with the poet Carla Harryman.
“Jon Raskin performs on a variety of saxophones, from the bright sopranino to the more substantial alto. The result is a dive into secluded body of sounds, sunlight playing on ripples at the surface and gently moving fish exploring the depths.”
The music on this recording is a combination of compositions and improvisations. The compositions are from a series of works for improvisers where the material for the scores came from plant material gathered from walks in my neighborhood and graphic elements I created to realize a specific set of musical concerns.
