It's wonderful to see some of Paul Dunmall's DUNS CDR releases, like this one, being reissued by his longstanding supporter Trevor Taylor's FMR label. Collecting the DUNS series was a blast as they were being released, as it was never clear what the piper's next move might be. This one was so much fun to revisit, not least for the inclusion of the wonderful concertina player Simon Thoumire! To work with Dunmall, it's necessary to live that cliché about expecting the unexpected, and what better demonstration of that could there be than the rollicking "Charles Wharles?" It's a bit sad to give the game away, but suffice it to say that a venture into folk territory, courtesy of Thoumire, goes wonderfully south. Thoumire riffs on various historical tropes, pulling together bits of transcultural reference in the process, before the others restrain themselves no longer. Dunmall's soprano works particularly well here, as it does on the more profound and powerfully droning "Unexpexted Saint," which finds Thoumire's bagpipes in full effect and bassist John Edwards thundering out a foundation.
It should go without saying that none of this is to negate the others' contributions, like the nearly but never quite static guitar work Phillip Gibbs infuses into "Don't Like to Me." His gentle oscillations, tiny shards in back-and-forth repetition, are the rock on which the others emote until he joins the fray with those runs and leaps so entirely his own. To this day, he is an underappreciated guitarist, as shown by his rubber-band inter-registral antics that complement everything else while pushing the music forward. Equally foundational and often percussive is Edwards' work on the titular piece. He may as well be a rhythm section unto himself, especially leading to the miniature climax at 5:03, which he is instrumental in creating. The music throughout often hinges on a slowly building "new thing" fire that nonetheless maintains interest, so colorful is each musician's approach and so in tune on so many levels is this quartet. Just listening to Gibbs and Edwards as they relate is a joy and a marvel, especially as they cross and recross territory seemingly meant for the other.
The capper, and maybe the most unexpected item on the program, is again down to Dunmall and Thoumire, both on bagpipes. "499 Million Years Ago" writhes and wriggles forward, feeding on each bent pitch and droning complex throughout its brief but poignant life. Each set of pipes is a small ensemble on its own, and together, a small reed orchestra is in the offing. Just as they really begin to get to that magical something, it all ends and rather abruptly, but it is the conclusion to a session certainly worthy both of its title and of reissue status.
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