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  Review by Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
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  LEAP OF FAITH ORCHESTRA & SUB UNITS with PEK / GLYNIS LOMON / YURI ZBITNOV / ERIC DAHLMAN / BOB MOORES / DUANE REED / ERIC ZINMAN / DEVIN LOMON - Virtual Particles (Evil Clown 9221; USA) Featuring PEK on clarinets, saxes, double reeds & percussion, Glynis Lomon on cello, aquasonic & voice, Yuri Zbitnov on drums & percussion, Eric Dahlman & Bob Moores on trumpets, Duane Reed bari horn, Eric Zinman on piano and Devin Lomon on harmonica. This is an octet version of the Leap of Faith Orchestra, which has had upwards of 20+ members in the past. Disc 1 features three different sub-units, which have between 3 & 5 members. This 2 CD set was recorded at Third Life Studios in Cambridge, MA in July of 2019 (last month!). Mr. Peck now runs a half dozen offshoot projects and keeps them busy with live performances and recording sessions. The sub units on disc 1 sound as if they have been working together for a while and a number of them have played previously. Sub-Unit 1 features the core trio: PEK, Glynis Lomon & Yuri Zbitnov plus guests Eric Zinman on piano and Devin Lomon (Glynis’ son or brother?) on harmonica. I get the feeling that most major cities in the US (and elsewhere) have at least one major pianist who is a master of free/jazz. John Blum in NYC is one such legend. Eric Zinman in the Boston area is another one. Instead of showing off his prowess, Mr. Zinman takes his time and adds select flurries on Sub-Unit 1 and with the orchestra on Disc 2. I get the feeling that Mr. Peck selects and directs his fellow musicians wisely as no one ever seems to overwhelm anyone else, there is always a good balance between each member. Sub Unit 2 features mostly horns: PEK, Eric Dahlman & Bob Moores on trumpets and Duane Reed on bari horn. Again all four members if this unit take their time and work well together, bending & twisting their notes in similar ways. Sub Unit 3 has the original trio (PEK, Lomon & Zbitnov) plus both trumpeters. This set is even better as the quintet push each other higher and further out with a good deal of engaging interaction.
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  The Leap of faith Orchestra, which is only an octet here, is also in fine form and held together by PEK’s timed segments, rarely if ever too chaotic, incredibly focused yet still exuberant and intense in part. The Leap of faith Orchestra seem to be PEK’s most successful ensemble due to the way Mr. Peck has chosen his featured musicians, np matter how many are involved. If you dig cosmic large ensemble music, then this disc is for you! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
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  Liner Notes by PEK
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  Five times a year, a smallish Leap of Faith Orchestra (10 to 15 players) heads over to Third Life Studios in Somerville for an evening of large ensemble improvisation. For the first half of the show, we do four short 15 minute improvisations or three 20 minute improvisations by different trio, quartet or quintet sub-groupings of the orchestra. Then we do a 50 minute improvisation with everyone.
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  These shows are open to the entire Evil Clown roster of about 50 musicians. So, although we have some steady regulars, the orchestra really is different every time. I assign the sub-units to take advantage of unusual groupings of instruments. I also bring a bunch of auxiliary instruments like wood blocks, hand chimes, bells, slide whistles, sirens, etc., which we distribute though the ensemble to enable players to completely change their sound.
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  This performance is sadly the last concert of this format to be performed at Third Life Studios. Union Square has been gentrifying and our host Susan can’t pay the landlords rent hikes, so she has closed it down. Leap of Faith Orchestra & Sub-Units’ residency included 13 concerts over a three year period, all of which were well-recorded and released on Evil Clown. I planning a download editions of all 25 CDs worth of material from the run in the near future… Keep your eyes peeled, I’ll make a nice digital booklet and budget price the whole package for $50…
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  This particular ensemble is a bit smaller than many of these shows at 8 performers, but all are regulars and we all know each other’s cues… The first short piece is core Leap of Faith with Eric Zinman on piano and Devon on harmonica, the second is Turbulence (just the horn players), the third set is core Leap of Faith with Bob and Eric D on trumpets, and the large set at the end has everyone. A great performance by this veteran improvisation ensemble to close out a highly productive 3 year run in this wonderful Somerville space. ... more
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• Double Live CD From The Leap of Faith Orchestra & Sub-Units final performance at Third Life Studios.... Our home for nearly 3 years...

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  Includes unlimited streaming of Virtual Particles (double live album) via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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