Ingrid Laubrock Anti-House - Strong Place (2013)

Anti-House is perhaps Laubrock's most New York-centric band, comprised of herself on tenor and soprano saxophones, guitarist Mary Halvorson, pianist Kris Davis, bassist John Hébert, and drummer Tom Rainey.
Anti-House has, over time, grown into a band in which the writing has become more personal – after all, Laubrock moved to New York only a scant couple of years before the first record was waxed.
Group identity in hand, Laubrock’s compositions reflect a wide range of formal challenges and present a contrasting, shape-shifting (but far from schizoid) palette. As Rainey puts it, “each piece is its own universe,” self-contained but related facets of Laubrock’s personality that are distinct and unrepeated. Feldman-esque footfalls, gritty rock-derived choogle, lushly seafaring minimal hooks (the beautiful elisions of “Alley Zen”) and heel-digging tenor that nods in the direction of messengers like Shepp and Evan Parker are all part of the landscape. As trumpeter/composer Bill Dixon once said, “Picasso never really had a ‘Blue Period’ – he just painted some blue paintings, right?” In that sense, there is an extraordinary amount of cohesiveness to this music, even as its sinewy limbs might amply and jarringly point in a series of quirky directions. Strong Place evinces warm bedrock firmly in place, even as Laubrock and her mates regularly shift the sands around one another. That’s as good a definition for composition as I can think of.
(Clifford Allen, liner notes)

Tracklist:

1. An Unfolding
2. Der Deichgraf
3. Count 'Em (For Richard Foreman)
4. From Farm Girl to Fabulous, Vol.1
5. Alley Zen
6. Strong Place (For Emanuella)
7. Cup in a Teastorm (For Henry Threadgill)
8. Here's to Love

Personnel:

Ingrid Laubrock - tenor and soprano saxophones;
Mary Halvorson - guitar;
Kris Davis - piano;
John Hébert - bass;
Tom Rainey - drums.