Crow Country is a mixed bag. This CD gathers together compositions and improvisations by
Ross Bolleter. The best pieces are "Under Rookwood," a solemn work of multi-layered double bass, and the eerie "Piano Dreaming," which mixes a piano heard from a distance with tape work and double bass to produce haunting sound art. Even though it is poorly recorded, "Unfinished Business," an improvisation played on a ruined (as in completely rotten) piano, offers very original sounds. Also rather poorly recorded is "That Time (Simulplay II)," a collaborative improvisation between
Bolleter on piano and prepared piano and bassist Ryszard Ratajczak. Both were playing at the same time but miles apart, their performance relayed by communication lines to a concert audience, both performances being captured by two radios on stage. There are some very nice chance meetings here, but sound quality is not very good (the radios were miked). As for "Labyrinth Tango," an accordion solo of bootleg-type sound quality, its inclusion on the CD is very difficult to understand. ~ François Couture