Quiet Inlet by Food + Thomas Strønen + Iain Ballamy

Food has downsized to a duo — Norwegian drummer Thomas Strønen and English saxophonist Iain Ballamy — and 2010’s *Quiet Inlet* captures them performing live improvisations in Norway in 2007 and 2008. On four of the tracks, the group is joined by Nils Petter Molvaer on trumpet and electronics, and Christian Fennesz lends guitar and electronics to “Tobiko,” Mictyris,” and “Fathom.” On “Tobiko,” which is marked by clattering percussion, hovering chords, and electronic interjections, Ballamy plays a long-note statement on soprano sax that evokes Wayne Shorter. The contrast between the unruffled calm of the melody and the tempest of sound that surrounds it is highly engaging. Ballamy switches to tenor for “Chimaera,” a moody cut that finds Molvaer playing exquisitely nuanced trumpet. Imagine a sparer version of early Weather Report, and you will get an idea of this piece’s vibe. At times, Molvaer’s work on “Becalmed” evokes the trumpeter Jon Hassell, and the track’s atmospheric setting also brings to mind Hassell’s lush soundscapes. *Quiet Inlet* closes with its longest piece, “Fathom,” where Strønen fills the air with inventive hits and splashes.

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9 / 10

Avant-gardists Food couldn't have picked a better name for their album if they tried.

<p>Iain Ballamy's latest collaboration with his Food ensemble is packed with detail and drama, says <strong>John Fordham</strong></p>