Harras


Harras is an album of improvised music by Derek Bailey, John Zorn & William Parker. The album was released by the Japanese Avant label in 1996. Towards the end of the track "Evening Harras" there is 10 minutes of silence followed by a Bailey solo. "According to Derek Bailey, the abrupt cutoff was planned. Derek wanted to end it "on a high". The Bailey solo material appended after the silence was apparently Zorn's idea."

Reception

The Allmusic review by Dean McFarlane awarded the album 3 stars stating "Evidently the candid session that took place on a night in New York resulted in a chaotic collision of ideas. With the performers being such strong voices individually, the abundant ideas fly in and out of the picture with no apparent regard to form; the session evolves from tepid beginnings into a no-holds-barred, rapid-fire assault on the senses. Fans of ultra-high-energy free improvisation will find it a delight to hear these three masters sparring on this one-off collaboration, making Harras a vital historical document which requires the gumption of a hardened avant-garde music fan to take the whole recording in one listen".

Track listing

  1. "Morning Harras" - 12:35
  2. "Noon Harras" - 8:59
  3. "Evening Harras" - 36:00

    Personnel