Audiopile Review: One of two new voyages from the Sam Gendel multiverse lands on these here shores, with the saxophonist collaborating here alongside longtime pal Benny Bock and Norwegian experimentalist Hans Kjorstad. Like so much of Gendel’s prodigious output, Dream Trio captures a spontaneous exchange between kindred spirits, the trio shapeshifting through a smattering of influences and stylistic flairs that have that “lightning in a bottle” feel, which has become the defining characteristic of Gendel’s collaborative and solo output over the past few years. Recorded live in a studio while on tour in Japan, Dream Trio restlessly move through many stations as they improvise their way to celestial ascension, defying any firm grounding in genre but dropping some breadcrumb clues along the way. The crystalline “Angel’s Egg” opens the album with radiant keys and the warped wind tones typical of all things Gendel, nodding to the ambient-jazz of ECM that looms large over much of contemporary jazz. The air is cleared for the Eastern-tinged astral fusion of “Legend Of The Ohmu” that pays respect to Don Cherry, eventually arriving at the melted tones and affected fluttering sax of “I See Signs Everywhere” and the warbled lullaby of “Everything Happens To Me”, both spiritually guided by Jon Hassell, Gendel’s longtime North Star. The fluid movement through these varied strands actually reminds us of Gendel’s most inventive album prior, the restless Fresh Bread. But this is also tipped for fans of Gendel’s longtime spar, Sam Wilkes, and his recent trio release on International Anthem.

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Sam Gendel is known for his work with saxophones and wind controllers. Benny Bock is a keyboardist, composer, producer and sound designer from Oakland, California. Hans Kjorstad is a musician and composer in the field of contemporary microtonal music, informed by Norwegian traditional music and experimental improvised music.