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Outside The Maze

by Gilliam, Martynec, McBirnie

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Lucent Dance 05:22
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about

This album is “Outside” - the wild spontaneous nature of our music, “The Maze” - the complex environment in which we all live. Our improvised piano, electroacoustic and flute music invites our audience to step 'outside the maze', and to hear music from a unique and fascinating perspective.

Free improv presents an ultimate test for any musician, in that it requires a total commitment to live in the moment while being acutely sensitive to, and mindful of, the other players and listening carefully in order to find one's place in what is inevitably an ambiguous sonic situation as it unfolds, develops and ends as a completed piece

The absence of any pre-meditated, formal structure means that we must assume an attentive, patient, and humble mindset, devoid of any "judgement" (i.e., regarding what is "right" or "wrong") as we proceed along our collaborative path.

For these reasons, free improv presents the greatest challenge in terms of improvisatory risk, for both the performer and the listener. And therein lies the fascination, as well as the thrill, of free improv, for everyone involved, whether playing or observing.

This trio has a certain simpatico that is striking and unusual. We sincerely hope that you, as the listener, will experience the same sense of adventure that we, as the performers, shared in making this music.

credits

released April 23, 2023

PERSONNEL & CREDITS:

Bill Gilliam – piano
Eugene Martynec – electroacoustics
Bill McBirnie – flute & alto flute

Compositions – Gilliam, Martynec, McBirnie (all tracks SOCAN)
Produced by – Bill Gilliam, Eugene Martynec & Bill McBirnie
Recorded at – Khul Muzik, Toronto, Ontario
Edited, Mixed & Mastered by – Gary Honess at Khul Muzik, Toronto, Ontario

Cover Image:
Abstract futuristic motion lines on horizontal surface by Mobilee
Layout / Design: Ambrose Pottie, Castleton, Ontario

MEDIA COMMENTS (June / July 2023)
The quality that most separates Outside the Maze from the norm is its once-in-a-lifetime idiosyncratic chemistry and synergy. No other three musicians could collaborate in such a way and achieve such remarkable results in such an unusual instrumental confguration. Bill Gilliam, Eugene Martynec, and Bill McBirnie hit a higher creative zenith than ever before with this usual collection.
HEATHER SAVAGE (Top Buzz Magazine)

In collaboration with electroacoustic player Eugene Martynec and piano player Bill Gilliam, [McBirnie's] recent output ranks among the fnest in his career. Together, they create spontaneous compositions relying on little else beyond their innate interplay to make the performances work...It all seizes upon the moment without pretension...Even the most skeptical listener will be entranced by their power.
CHADWICK EASTON (Melody Maker Magazine)

Bill Gilliam, Eugene Martynec and Bill McBirnie’s improv approach in this trio format is an unmitigated success, thanks to the musician’s willingness to take chances, listen to each other, and respond accordingly. All three are without doubt virtuosos. McBirnie’s fute, Martynec’s electroacoustics, and Gilliam's piano speak directly to listeners without ever sacrifcing their artistic selfrespect or losing the listener. They...check their egos at the door and play as one...Outside the Maze defes description!...
COLIN JORDAN (Medium.com)

These are not traditional compositions, but rather the result of inspired improvisation that clearly avoids any of the self-indulgent nonsense that you might associate with working in such a way. It never sounds slapdash. Rather, it boasts real polish, without ever sounding wayward...It is impressive how seamlessly it all comes together...They make coherence a top priority. Balancing all of these competing elements in a free-fowing framework is a real eye opener...A spellbinding release!
NICOLE KILLIAN (The Mob's Press)

Outside the Maze, consists of ten diverse tracks, no two of which alike. While the piano and the futes (both C and alto) are pretty much distinguishable throughout, Martynec’s contributions range from atmospheric to percussive. At times, it is hard to imagine that his convincing sounds are not being created on physical drums and cymbals; at others it’s hard to imagine what their origins might be. It’s also hard to imagine that these cohesive “compositions” are being created spontaneously in real time, without premeditation or formal structure. The results are entrancing.
DAVID OLDS (Editor's Choice, WholeNote Magazine, July 2023)

Those who are inclined to dismiss instrumental music driven by piano and fute as easy-listening tripe will do well to give the new release from Gilliam/Martynec/McBirnie, Outside the Maze, a close listen. The trio enlarges the possibilities of instrumental music in ways that will surely surprise and delight even the most cynical listener...It is evocative and accessible, and without ever faunting its musically iconoclastic approach...It’s all an impressive mix of the familiar and the improbable that works, from beginning to end...They manage to achieve a near orchestral quality, portraying
something that approaches the endless expanse of space...These are musicians who, rather than adhering to the status quo, take real chances—and they produce a result that is one of the most offbeat,
yet enduring, instrumental releases in recent memory. MARK DRUERY (IndieShark Music Magazine – Pick of the Week –Nomination for Album of the Year 2023)

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Gilliam, Martynec, McBirnie Toronto, Ontario

Bill Gilliam's music has evolved from many visceral encounters with musical works of art ranging from jazz, free improvisation, electroacoustics and contemporary classical works.

This collaboration with Bill Gilliam (piano), Bill McBirnie (flutes) and Eugene Martynec (electroacoustics) is an exploration of creating “spontaneous compositions” through improvisation.
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