For his eighth recording on Origin, vibist Tom Collier assembled a set
of five improvised compositions with pianist Richard Karpen to be
recorded in a trio setting. Added to the duo for each piece are several
of the more empathetic and forward-looking creative musicians of the
past 50 years, all who happen to be colleagues of theirs at the
University of Washington, where Collier recently retired after a
thirty-year career. William O. 'Bill' Smith and Stuart Dempster both
nurtured his thirst for improvised music in the late '60s through their
contemporary music program at the UW. More recently, trumpeter Cuong Vu,
guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Ted Poor have all made dynamic
contributions to the program. Here they each contribute to an album
that, while abstract and complex, is also full of beauty and emotion.
