"...The highly capable improvisers engaged by PEK are participating in the composer's unique method of Frame Notation… Along with strings and three basses, a large assortment of percussion instruments, and two tubas, the orchestra utilizes an assortment of non-conventional devices such as bullroarers, claves, flex-a-tones, slide whistles, wind sirens, crank sirens, bells, Tibetan bowls, ratchets and a tube-o-phone… Possible Universes works in a surprisingly paradoxical way, allowing structure and freedom to coexist, while constantly challenging the ear. It's not quite like anything else..."
- Karl Ackermann, AllAboutJazz
“…What is even more impressive is that Mr. PEK has learned how to organize/lead this massive ensemble so that it doesn’t sound consistently like chaos. The core members of Leap of Faith, PEK on multi-reeds, Glynis Lomon on cello and Yuri Zbitnov on drums are often at the center with various layers of strings, reeds, brass, guitars, basses and percussion surrounding them…. Everyone takes their time and sounds completely focused. I know that Mr. PEK has been employing a timer or clock to help keeps things more balanced and the results are indeed phenomenal. This could be the best Leap of Faith release so far, which is pretty amazing considering that I’ve reviewed some two dozen plus discs so far. “
- Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
"...While much can be said about this recording, it’s been a while since I’ve heard an ensemble of this size, with so many players, that were in the zone: the magical zone, where a musician or artist can do no wrong. I’ve only seen the smaller version of the Leap of Orchestra, but what’s on this CD is pure TNT – nitroglycerin! On this night, the orchestra is playing as one, generating wave after wave of highly energetic polyphonics. It’s so organized even when it’s disorganized within the parameters set by the leader, David Peck. This is the most formidable output I’ve heard from this unit. It is truly remarkable to hear how the musicians are in sync with each other. Do pick up your copy of Possible Universes pronto at the nearest record store, or order it online. If you haven’t heard any of the previous CDs by the Leap of Orchestra, I highly recommend this recording, as a place to start!"
- Marc Edwards, Jazz Right Now
Audio CD Evil Clown 9185
Leap of Faith Orchestra - Cosmological Horizons
bandcamp: streaming, downloads and CD Mail Order
1) Leap of Faith Orchestra-
Cosmological Horizons (1:17:20)
2) Leap of Faith - Boundaries (20:55)
(Download Bonus Track of opening set)
PEK (1,2) - clarinets, saxophones, double reeds, sheng, harmonium +
Glynis Lomon (1,2) - cello, aquasonic, voice +
Yuri Zbitnov (1,2) - drums, lead gong, brontosaurus bell, percussion +
Jim Warshauer (1,2) - clarinets, saxophones +
Zack Bartolomei (1) - clarinets, saxophones +
Charlie Kohlhase (1) - saxophones +
Bob Moores (1) - trumpet +
Eric Dahlman (1) - trumpet, overtone voice +
Forbes Graham (1) - trumpet +
Duane Reed (1) - baritone horn, bass trombone +
Dave Harris (1) - trombone, tuba
Greg Burbank - tuba, AUX*
Abigale Reisman - violin, AUX*
Sue Buzzard - violin, AUX*
Adrienne Schoenfeld - bass, AUX*
Grant Beale - guitar, electronics, AUX*
Chris Florio - guitar synthesizer, AUX*
Eric Woods - analog synthesizer, AUX*
Eric Zinman - piano, AUX*
Eric Rosenthal - drums, concert bass drum, balafon, Chinese gong, metal, wood
Syd Smart - drums, percussion, AUX*
AUX*: Ensemble Auxiliary Instruments:
wood blocks, castanets, rachets, wood rattles, claves, Tibetan bowls, Tibetan bells, flex-a-tones, hand chimes, sirens
Program: Click on page for hi-res pdf
Leap of Faith Orchestra Performances
of Frame Notation Scores by PEK
Leap of Faith Orchestra Performs
Possible Universes by PEK
Somerville Armory, Somerville MA
28 May 2017
2) Leap of Faith Orchestra - The Expanding Universe 1:16:57
PEK - dulzaina, sopranino & alto & tenor saxes, oboe, clarinet,
contraalto clarinet, sheng, bass tromboon, fog horn, ms-20,
boomwhakers, slide whistles, siren whistle
Glynis Lomon - cello, aquasonic, voice, slide whistle
Steve Norton - sopranino & alto & baritone saxes, bass & contraalto
clarinets, celeste, fog horn, boomwhakers
Andria Nicodemou - vibes, bells, crotales, slide whistle
Yuri Zbitnov - drum set, lead gong, metal, balfon, blocks, festival drum,
daiko, chains, siren whistle, boomwhakers, percussion
Mimi Rabson - violin, metal, slide whistle, siren whistle, percussion
Clara Kebabian - violin, electronics, slide whistle, siren whistle,
percussion
Bob Moores - trumpet, electronics, tiny slide whistle, percussion
Charlie Kohlhase - alto & tenor & baritone saxes, slide whistle,
percussion
Dave Harris - tuba, trombone, fog horn, crank siren, slide whistle,
boomwhaker
Peter Cassino - piano, slide whistle
Tony Leva - bass, slide whistle
Brendan Higgins - bass, slide whistle
Yedidyah Syd Smart - edrums, percussion
Kevin Dacey - drum set, balfon, blocks, metal, chains, percussion,
crank siren, taxi horn
Digital Booklet for CD
Audio CD Evil Clown 9144
Leap of Faith Orchestra - Possible Universes
bandcamp: streaming, downloads and CD Mail Order
1) Leap of Faith Orchestra- Possible Universes (1:17:02)
2) Leap of Faith - Possible Worlds (20:26)
(Download Bonus Track of opening set)
PEK - saxophones, clarinets, double reeds (1,2)
Glynis Lomon - cello, aquasonic, voice (1,2)
Yuri Zbitnov - drums, percussion (1,2)
Andria Nicodemou - vibes, percussion (1,2)
Mimi Rabson - violin (1,2)
Matt Scutchfield - violin (1)
Jonathan LaMaster - violin (1)
Dan O’Brien - flutes, clarinets, saxophones (1)
Zach Bartolomei - clarinets, saxophones, melodica (1)
Bob Moores - trumpet (1)
Program: Click on page for hi-res pdf
Leap of Faith Orchestra - Cosmological Horizons
Killian Hall, MIT, Cambridge MA
14 July 2018
Kat Dobbins - trombone + (1)
Dave Harris - trombone, tuba + (1)
Zack Grass - bass trombone, tuba + (1)
Grant Beale - guitar, wood + (1)
Eric Zinman - piano, kazoo, slide whistle, wood + (1)
Tony Leva - bass + (1,2)
Silvain Castellano - bass + (1)
Syd Smart - drums, percussion + (1,2)
Joe Hartigan - drums, percussion + (1)
(+) Ensemble Auxiliary Instruments:
bullroarers, claves, melodicas, flex-a-tones, bells, tibetan bowls, rachets, tube-o-phone, rachets, wood blocks
Leap of Faith Orchestra: The Photon Epoch
Part / Score: Click Page for hi-res pdf
Audio CD Evil Clown 9110
Leap of Faith Orchestra ‐ The Expanding Universe
Nave Gallery, Clarendon Presbyterian Church Somerville, MA - 6/4/2016
bandcamp: streaming, downloads and CD mail order
Squidco: CD mail order
1) Leap of Faith - Dark Matter - 20:18 (download bonus track)
PEK - tenor sax, clarinet, alto & contraalto clarinets, contrabassoon,
dulzaina, sheng, metal, daxophone, aquasonic, game calls
Glynis Lomon - cello, aquasonic, voice
Steve Norton - sopranino & alto & baritone saxes,
bass & Contraalto clarinets
Andria Nicodemou - vibes, bells, crotales, metal
Yuri Zbitnov - drums, metal, chains
The vision of the overall Evil Clown project is to create an extremely broad universe of sound and to realize music which transforms into widely different sonorities within a single performance. The full Leap of Faith Orchestra performing a PEK frame notation score is the most complete implementation of that vision. The large ensemble size and the details provided in the score directing the improvisation allow us to create a story through a huge number of controlled textures over the 75 minute duration of the works.
The small Leap of Faith Orchestra, and the various sub-units (Leap of Faith, Metal Chaos Ensemble, Turbulence, String Theory, New Language Collaborative, Sub-Units and Mekaniks) also perform pure improvisations. These pure improvisations comprise most of the work of the Evil Clown ensembles and tune the player's improvisation languages to each other and the Evil Clown aesthetic (in 2017 we performed two scores, but published a total of 37 new albums).
The scored performances are also listed in the Leap of Faith section of the Evil Clown website, but now enough of these projects have been completed it makes sense to list them separately as well.
The completed works are listed below with the most recent performances at the top. Each includes links to the full Evil Clown album page, score, bandcamp page, YouTube video, and selected press.
Last on the page is the 1994 performance of Expansions by PEK, performed by The Pointy Toes Ensemble. Expansions used frame notation combined with notation on the ordinary music staff. It took about two years to hand prepare the score and the tape and video components as well as a lot of rehearsal to achieve the performance. Despite the compositional success of Expansions, I decided at that time to focus on pure improvisation, which is a much more rapid process, and pursued that agenda for the remainder of the initial Leap of Faith period extending to 2001. The contemporary scores use simpler directions which do not require rehearsals and modern computer technology and software that reduces the effort required to prepare the scores.
- PEK - 25 February 2018
Mimi Rabson (1,2) - violin +
Elinor Speirs (1,2) - violin +
Jane Wang (1) - cello +
Silvain Castellano (1) - double bass +
Zachary Lavine (1) - double bass +
Albey onBass (1) - fretless electric bass +
Eric Woods (1) - analog synth, mandolin +
Chris Florio (1) - guitar synth +
Reverend Grant Beale (1) - guitar, wood +
Eric Zinman (1) - piano +
Silvain Castellano (1) - bass +
Syd Smart (1,2) - electronic drums, gong, percussion +
Eric Rosenthal (1,2) - drums, gong, percussion +
Steve Niemitz (1,2) - gong, percussion +
(+) wood, metal, aquasonic, slide whistle, rachet, flex-a-tone, vuvuzela, melodica etc.
Leap of Faith Orchestra: Supernovae
"...The highly capable improvisers engaged by PEK are participating in the composer's unique method of Frame Notation… Along with strings and three basses, a large assortment of percussion instruments, and two tubas, the orchestra utilizes an assortment of non-conventional devices such as bullroarers, claves, flex-a-tones, slide whistles, wind sirens, crank sirens, bells, Tibetan bowls, ratchets and a tube-o-phone… Possible Universes works in a surprisingly paradoxical way, allowing structure and freedom to coexist, while constantly challenging the ear. It's not quite like anything else..."
- Karl Ackermann, AllAboutJazz
“…What is even more impressive is that Mr. PEK has learned how to organize/lead this massive ensemble so that it doesn’t sound consistently like chaos. The core members of Leap of Faith, PEK on multi-reeds, Glynis Lomon on cello and Yuri Zbitnov on drums are often at the center with various layers of strings, reeds, brass, guitars, basses and percussion surrounding them…. Everyone takes their time and sounds completely focused. I know that Mr. PEK has been employing a timer or clock to help keeps things more balanced and the results are indeed phenomenal. This could be the best Leap of Faith release so far, which is pretty amazing considering that I’ve reviewed some two dozen plus discs so far. “
- Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
"...While much can be said about this recording, it’s been a while since I’ve heard an ensemble of this size, with so many players, that were in the zone: the magical zone, where a musician or artist can do no wrong. I’ve only seen the smaller version of the Leap of Orchestra, but what’s on this CD is pure TNT – nitroglycerin! On this night, the orchestra is playing as one, generating wave after wave of highly energetic polyphonics. It’s so organized even when it’s disorganized within the parameters set by the leader, David Peck. This is the most formidable output I’ve heard from this unit. It is truly remarkable to hear how the musicians are in sync with each other. Do pick up your copy of Possible Universes pronto at the nearest record store, or order it online. If you haven’t heard any of the previous CDs by the Leap of Orchestra, I highly recommend this recording, as a place to start!"
- Marc Edwards, Jazz Right Now
"In a decade of writing for All About Jazz, Chicago Jazz Magazine, and The New York Jazz Record, I’ve had the opportunity to listen to thousands of creative music recordings, of overwhelming diversity. I have heard nothing like the music of PEK…. There is a new collective depth to LOFO’s sound; symphonious, and with greater complexity of emotion, but still bristling with an underlying rawness... The Photon Epoch marks a forward movement in PEK’s music, and it also stands out as the highlight to-date, of one of the most prolific and unique composers of our time."
- Karl Ackermann, AllAboutJazz
Leap of Faith Opening Set: Possible Worlds
Leap of Faith Orchestra: Possible Universes
Forbes Graham - trumpet (1)
Kat Dobbins - trombone (1)
Dave Harris - trombone, tuba (1)
John Baylies - tuba (1)
Steve Provizer - trumpet, baritone horn (1)
Grant Beale - guitar, wood (1)
Chris Florio - guitar synthesizer, wood (1)
Eric Zinman - piano, kazoo, slide whistle, wood (1)
Tony Leva - bass (1,2)
Silvain Castellano - bass (1)
Kit Demos - bass (1)
Syd Smart - drums, percussion (1,2)
Kevin Dacey - drums, percussion (1)
Joe Hartigan - drums, percussion (1)
Ensemble Auxiliary Instruments:
bullroarers, claves, melodicas, flex-a-tones, slide whistles, wind sirens,
crank sirens, bells, tibetan bowls, rachets, tube-o-phone
Leap of Faith Orchestra Performs
The Expanding Universe by PEK
Nave Gallery, Clarendon Presbyterian Church
Somerville MA - 4 June 2016
Digital Booklet for CD
PEK - clarinet, contraalto clarinet, alto, tenor & baritone saxophones,
oboe, dulzaina, contrabassoon, bass tromboon, sheng, daxophone,
flex-a-tone, rachet, plate gong, aquasonic,fog horns, taxi horn, wind
siren, metal (1,2)
Glynis Lomon - cello, aquasonic, voice (1,2)
Yuri Zbitnov - lead gong, drum set, daiko, festival drum, balafon, metal,
wood (1,2)
Andria Nicodemou - vibes, crotales, metal (1)
Bob Moores - trumpet, large temple bowl (1)
Forbes Graham - trumpet, Tibetan bowl, flex-a-tones (1)
Dan O’Brien - clarinets, bass clarinet, alto & tenor saxophones, flute,
Tibetan Bowl (1)
Zach Bartolomei - soprano & alto saxophones, clarinet, rachet,
melodica (1)
Kat Dobbins - trombone, Tibetan bowl, plate gong (1)
Rich sonorous frame notation improvisation
Leap Of Faith Orchestra – Cosmological Horizons
"After forty years (+) of reviewing music, both “straight-up” and “out there“, I can truly say that the music from LOFO is different than anything I’ve ever listened to… …if you claim to be a fan of adventurous improvised music, this album (and their entire series, in fact) MUST be in your collection – it’s some of the best creative energy I’ve ever heard, and that’s saying a lot, because I’ve not only listened to a lot of such, but did (in fact) perform some of my own madness back in the day! ..."
- Dick Metcalf, editor, Contemporary Fusion Reviews
Leap Of Faith Orchestra: SuperClusters
"...SuperClusters appeals on at least two levels; the technical aspects of PEK's approach are intriguing and thought provoking. From a musical perspective those techniques translate to a listening experience that seems to change with each successive play of the disc..."
- Karl Ackermann, AllAboutJazz.com
Leap of Faith Opening Set: Dark Matter
Leap of Faith Opening Set: Luminous
Evil Clown
On Leap of Faith: "Alien yet familiar, bizarre yet completely fascinating. Expanding, contracting, erupting, settling down, always as one force..." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2
David Harris - trombone, tuba, rachet (1)
John Baylies - tubas, flex-a-tones (1)
Mimi Rabson - violin, flex-a-tones (1,2)
Matt Scutchfield - violin, Atlantis gong, flex-a-tones (1)
Helen Sherrah-Davies - violin, flex-a-tones (1)
Brendan Higgens - bass, rachet (1)
Tony Leva - bass, rachet (1)
Drew Wesley - guitar, rachet (1)
Grant Beale - guitar, flex-a-tone (1)
Peter Cassino - piano (1)
Kevin Dacey - drum set, vibes, timpani, metal, wood , balafon (1,2)
Sydney Smart - electronic percussion, drum set (1)
Audio CD Evil Clown 9125
Leap of Faith Orchestra - Supernovae
Somerville Armory - Somerville, Massachusetts
19 November 2016
bandcamp: streaming, downloads and CD mail order
Leap of Faith Orchestra
1) Supernovae (PEK) - 1:17:10
Leap of Faith
2) Luminus - 20:17 (warm up set - download bonus track)
Leap of Faith Orchestra Performs
SuperClusters by PEK
Pickman Hall, Longy School of Music, Cambridge MA
1 December 2017
Leap of Faith Orchestra Performs
The Photon Epoch by PEK
Pickman Hall, Longy School of Music, Cambridge MA
30 April 2019
Leap of Faith Orchestra Performs
Cosmological Horizons by PEK
Killian Hall, MIT, Cambridge MA
14 July 2018
Score
Part / Score: Click Page for hi-res pdf
The Pointy-Toes Ensemble:
PEK (clarinets and saxes)
Sam Lobel (clarinet, tenor sax)
Raqib Hassan (bass clarinet, saxes, mussette)
Steve Norton (clarinets and saxes)
Keith Hedger (trumpet)
Mark McGrain (trombone)
Glynis Lomon (cello)
David “Tiger” Lyons (guitar)
Nick Lloyd (double bass)
Sydney Smart (drums)
Aib Gomez-Delgado (timekeeper)
Thom Jones (tape preparation, mixer, tape manipulation, guitar)
Glen Peterson (tape preparation, primary mixer, microtonal
guitarist)
Matt Samolis (mixer, tape manipulation)
Macha (sound reinforcement engineer, recording engineer)
Lynton Vanderstein (video)
Poster: Click for SuperClusters Promo Page
Reviews:
Leap of Faith Orchestra brilliantly bizarre improvised ensemble Leap of Faith Orchestra – Super Clusters
"… the composition uses a graphic notation system called Frame Notation, and the music they produce is full of power, as well as lots of 'wide open spaces' – all executed flawlessly...
… just superb creative effort that will blow your mind."
- Dick Metcalf Contemporary Fusion Reviews
Leap of Faith Orchestra Performs
Supernovae by PEK
Somerville Armory, Somerville MA
19 November 2016
Pointy Toes Ensemble Performs
Expansions by PEK
Mobius, Boston MA
4 June 2016
Leap Of Faith Orchestra: SuperClusters
"...SuperClusters appeals on at least two levels; the technical aspects of PEK's approach are intriguing and thought provoking. From a musical perspective those techniques translate to a listening experience that seems to change with each successive play of the disc..."
- Karl Ackermann, AllAboutJazz.com
Audio CD Evil Clown 9164
Leap of Faith Orchestra - SuperClusters
bandcamp: streaming, downloads and CD Mail Order
1) Leap of Faith Orchestra- SuperClusters (1:16:00)
2) Leap of Faith - GigaParsecs (20:56)
(Download Bonus Track of opening set)
PEK - saxophones, clarinets, double reeds, daxophone, sheng + (1,2)
Glynis Lomon - cello, aquasonic, voice + (1,2)
Yuri Zbitnov - drums, log drums, gong, metal, wood, daxophone + (1,2)
Matt Scutchfield - violin +(1)
Junko Fujiwara - cello +(1)
Charlie Kohlhase - saxophones + (1)
Dan O’Brien - flutes, clarinets, saxophones +(1)
Bob Moores - trumpet + (1)
Forbes Graham - trumpet + (1)
Reviews:
Leap of Faith Orchestra brilliantly bizarre improvised ensemble Leap of Faith Orchestra – Super Clusters
"… the composition uses a graphic notation system called Frame Notation, and the music they produce is full of power, as well as lots of 'wide open spaces' – all executed flawlessly...
… just superb creative effort that will blow your mind."
- Dick Metcalf Contemporary Fusion Reviews
Leap of Faith Orchestra: SuperClusters
Leap of Faith Opening Set: GigaParsecs
On Metal Chaos Ensemble: "... using unique strategies to yield densely active and eerily surreal music, an incredible excursion through experimental improvisation." - Squidco website staff
"The sole track (being the title track) is a sprawling epic at seventy-seven minutes and does indeed deviate between the austere and the chaotic, but as always, composer PEK has a higher purpose. Swerving whistles and a siren usher in the piece with no small amount of urgency building to a crescendo of noise before a lone tuba replaces near-calamity with dark mystery. Later, piano and alternate devices struggle for dominance, lopsided melodies collide with bells, blocks and cymbals in a musical representation of the album's stated theme... Like any uncharted exploration, attention to detail makes this experimental journey a memorable experience."
- Karl Ackermann, AllAboutJazz
"The results are pretty extraordinary. The work is very long, nearly 77 minutes and goes through different sections. The music sounds directed since it moves in precise waves with different subsections rising and falling back into the often turbulent sea of sounds. A number of different things stand out: an intense free piano solo (Peter Cassino), a layer of brass waves sailing with another layer of twisted reeds, sporadic double rhythm teams (tablas?), erupting and then disappearing. The balance of more sparse sections with occasional dense outbursts sounds tightly directed. Considering that the Evil Clown label which documents all of the Leap of Faith and their offshoot projects, is closing in at nearly a 100 releases, this disc might just be the best one I’ve reviewed. A completely outstanding effort all the way around."
- Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
"Free jazz, noise, rock, it’s all here, but mostly free jazz. This might be among the free-est recordings I have ever heard, right up with Arthur Doyle, Albert Ayler, or Henry Cow. There are so many musicians, and so many instruments, that it is difficult to keep track of what’s going on. This is a fantastic, amazing record. I suggest you check out some of their other recordings online. The Expanding Universe is not easy listening, but the patient listener will be rewarded."
- Eric Baylies, The Noise-Boston
"...a bracing collage of ever-varying sound color universes and at times they kick up a hell of a fuss! Other times they are a bit more focused within... But all told you are in for a wildly free trip into the nether worlds of the universe. Nice one!"
- Grego Applegate Edwards, Gapplegate Muisc Review
Audio CD Evil Clown 9213
Leap of Faith Orchestra - The Photon Epoch
bandcamp: streaming, downloads and CD Mail Order
1) Leap of Faith Orchestra -
The Photon Epoch (1:16:56)
PEK - clarinet & contralto clarinet, alto, tenor & bass saxophones, tarota, sheng, melodica, chau gong, plate gong, AUX*
Glynis Lomon - cello, voice, AUX*
Yuri Zbitnov - drums, daiko, dan-mo, englephone, vibraphone, paiste gong, brontosaurus & tank bells, AUX*
Zach Bartolomei - alto sax, flute, atlantis gong, AUX*
Eric Dahlman - trumpet, overtone voice, AUX*
Bob Moores - trumpet, AUX*
Forbes Graham - trumpet, AUX*
Duane Reed - baritone horn, bass trombone, AUX*
Leap of Faith Orchestra: The Expanded Universe
Audio CD Evil Clown 9005
Expansions is a digital box set containing all 3 of the 90 minute performances of the work along with a 40 minute video introducing the ensemble, the score, photos and promotional materials.
1. Expansions Part One - Thursday 15 September 1994 48:35
2. Expansions Part Two - Thursday 15 September 1994 43:04
3. Expansions Part One - Friday 16 September 1994 48:10
4. Expansions Part Two - Friday 16 September 1994 42:12
5. Expansions - Saturday 17 September 1994 01:38:15
Are You Pointy - 40 minute video with Leap of Faith soundtrack