The world lost Mars Williams in November of last year. For fans of his music, it is a godsend that Corbett vs. Dempsey stepped in immediately with to start the Mars archives. I Know You Are But What Am I? is their first installment is a real treasure. On it, we have two musicians in what could have been their primes, assuming those hadn't been in their youthful and uncompromising mid-20's and -30's (as so many others peaked) and not knowing that they would both excel even further through the next few decades to become both elder statesmen and prime movers of free music in the US. That is not to mention their respective contributions to reggae and soul, and acid jazz and new wave.
Recorded at Chicago's Empty Bottle in December 1996, I Know You Are But What Am I? captures Williams and Hamid Drake in a live duo performance. The recording is clear, but not terribly crisp. This imperfection, however, is hardly an impediment to what is an exceptional release. I Know starts with a Williams composition, "The Worm". (This is the sole composition on the album. All other cuts, and even much of "The Worm", was sheer improvisation.) Drake comes in arms a-flailing, showing how even then he could lay down a groove, or release a deluge, like no other. Williams steps up with a display of sheer energy, huffing and puffing and squealing. The sheets of sound are stilted, but oddly and awkwardly danceable.
As if one could expect these two to keep up that energetic opening salvo, the second track, "I Know", changes tack with a slowly unfolding solo from Williams, which vacillates between eastern scales and tight-lipped wails that together weave an intricate sonic fabric. As Drake joins, the piece drifts into lullaby or hymnic terrain. Here one hears more of the patience and control that has become such a central feature to Drake's drumming. Track three, "You Are", leans further into those eastern scales as Williams pick up a higher-pitched reed, maybe a soprano sax or clarinet. Drake lays down some thunderous drums and, as Williams drops out, Drake gets his chance to shine. And shine he does on an extended muscular solo eruption that lays rhythm on rhythm on rhythm. Not to be outdone, Williams unleashes again on the concluding cut, "But What Am I? ", doubling himself on reeds before Drake joins and they drop another energy bomb a la "The Worm".
I Know You Are But What Am I? — I am not sure this album offers any concrete answers. But it does capture these two musicians as they were (and were evolving) in a specific place and time, almost three decades ago. And what they were, what they discovered, what they created, burned brilliantly.
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