Canada’s JAZZWORD just reviewed our release of ALAN WILKINSON & DIRK SERRIES ‘One In The Eye‘ double disc, courtesy of critic KEN WAXMAN.

“Recorded in Anderlecht Belgian and London, the Wilkinson/Serries session approaches tandem improvising at varied lengths. The Anderlecht studio meeting is divided into seven mid-sized tracks, while the live London gig sprawls over two extended challenges. Every manner of extended techniques tried out by Wilkinson as he moves among alto and baritone saxophones and bass clarinet with triple tonguing, reed biters, lowing, doits, timbral squawks, clarion sniffles and vocal speaking-in-tongues projected from the horns’ body tubes. Meanwhile Serries hard strums and frails complement the expositions, whether they’re quietly distant or over-the-top emphatic. Although a couple of the other tracks suggest that Wilkinson is referencing contrafacts or quotes from other melodies, “Hand over Fist” stands out as the most assured and diverse program. As writhing baritone sax lines and rhythm guitar-like crunches intersect, the piece swells and shakes until it’s further torqued with cuckoo-clock-like chiming from Wilkinson. Guitar power chording keeps the narrative horizontal as the saxophonist’s playing becomes more fragmented, accelerating to squealing and shattering multiphonics. Bypassing the saxophonist’s descent into lowing reed tones and Bedlam-like verbalized crying through the horn, Serries paced frails centre the dual communication. With other tunes based on how chalumeau clarinet tones mellowing from pig snorts to molasses smoothness (“In the Here and Now”); or how smacks against the guitar body’s wood and repeated string vibrations can relax what starts as a honking, whistling and screaming reed tone examination (“The Stings of the Flesh In the Long Run’) almost every reed-string paradigm appears to be exposed. That’s why the session can be fruitfully concluded as reed snorts and vocal retches fade alongside the concentrated power of strummed strings.”