"TORNADO" is a 43 minute improvization of live music recorded without any overdubs by "VyZ". The music is an innovative cross between jazz, rock and classical genres that feature Rich Damone on bass, Charlie Tokarz on sax and flutes, and John Pritchard on drums and keyboards.

FROM THE MUSICIANS

Having an open mind to new ideas and experiences is always the playful method we prefer. It is in the optimistic light of free expression that we celebrate our improvisational music & film. We dedicate this improvisational "tornado" music to all creative artists and great improvisers past, present and future... especially Sam Rivers.



TORNADO REVIEWS

"LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE!"
Review By Adam Holzman (keyboards for Miles Davis, Grover Washington) with Jane Getter (guitarist for Saturday Night Live band)

In the end, what is music, really, other than an artistic arrangement of sounds?

There are many ways to produce 43 minutes of music: Composition is the most dependable. Improv-based forms are sometimes more interesting than compositions, sometimes definitely not. And, the most risky, totally improvised music in the moment, which can be exciting if it's done right and a disastrous bore if not.

I'm pleased to say that the CD "Tornado," a recording of pure improvisation, falls into the 'successful' category. Creating music out of thin air in a group format is not easy, but if the players know each other well, really listen to each other, are in synch with other, have a similar listening history and are a little lucky, the results can be really inspiring, ultimately sounding as if it was scored out. This record reaches that point a number of times.

"Tornado" is one 43 minute continous improvisation, divided into 11 tracks. The band is a trio format, with each musician playing multiple roles in the proceedings. "Tornado" draws from a wide pallette of sounds and styles. I'm hearing electronica mixed with early prog, semi-free jazz and pastoral soundscapes. At some points I'm reminded of "Bitches Brew."

It's sort of a chameleon in a way. When listening from the other room sometimes I'd forget what I had on and I'd think "is this Crimson?.... is this 'Song X' with Ornette and Pat Metheny?.... is this a Yes interlude....?," etc... At different points "Tornado" is all of those things.

It's clear these guys have been playing together for a long time and have a real rapport. This line-up has produced several projects before ("Music For Movies") but "Tornado" should really put them on the map as an ensemble. Thier improvisational instincts have sharpened and the ideas are taken further.

Charlie Tokarz is great on sax, flute and wind instruments. His performance morphs from intense wailing to some really nice lyrical moments, and he is able to fit in some cool riffs in the proggier sections. Rich Damone, besides being a very powerful bass player, fills in with some really wild sound effects, but I especially like his fuzz-bass freak outs.

John Pritchard is really the driving force behind the whole she-bang, playing keyboards, electronic noises and, mostly, drums. His drumming is influenced by Bill Bruford and Jack DeJohnette, the result being that sometimes he sounds like a twisted Ed Blackwell.

"Tornado" is one of those great moments that can happen in this format (small group improv). As a player I understand how rare it is when everything really falls into place; the players, the ideas, the recorded sound, the moment. John, Charlie and Rich should be happy that this jam was captured on 'tape,' like lightning in a bottle.

"THIS IS A BRILLIANT NEW CD!"
by Asaf Sirkis, drummer/composer:
the Inner Noise, Tim Garland, Gilad Atzmon, Larry Coryell

Rich colourful textures and a full sound from the capable hands of Damone, Tokarz and Prichard. With a touch of early Weather Report, Tornado is a unique and haunting musical journey into the unexplainable, immeasurable, and inexpressible.

Cosmic Tornado HH49/50 “Tornado” is the description of this jet blasting down from the top of this Spitzer Space Telescope image. Credit: J. Bally (Univ. of Colorado) et al., JPL-Caltech, NASA.

WHAT ISN'T KNOWN ABOUT TORNADOES

In the presence of a tornado there are very high electromagnetic fields, visible light, and ball lightning. Tornadoes can cause physical objects to fuse into each other - where matter actually becomes able to permeate other matter. There are cases where two burnt and charred wooden boards were fused together by a tornado, even though they would crumble at the slightest touch. There were pebbles that had gone through glass without breaking the glass; pieces of straw that went through a window and got stuck in the window without breaking it. Tornadoes show that matter is able to disappear or become permeable to other matter in the presence of a strong enough electromagnetic field.

Meteorologists are not sure how tornadoes form but they do know that they are often associated with severe electrical storms. The key to understanding tornadoes is that they are the result of rapidly rotating electric charge. Just as electrons are the current carriers in the copper wires we use for power transmission, so they are in the tornado. The BIG difference is that the electrons are moving at many meters per second in the tornado while they take several hours to move one meter in the copper wire! The result is that enormously powerful electromagnetic forces are in control of the tornado. This effect has been called a "charged sheath vortex." Visit holoscience.com >>

TORNADO MUSIC

Released March 2007
Purchase at Amazon Music: $4.90