Cryptology (album)

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Cryptology
Cryptology David Ware Cover.jpeg
Studio album by David S. Ware
Released 1995
Recorded December 2, 1994
Sound on Sound Studio, New York
Genre Jazz
Length 61:36
Label Homestead
Producer David S. Ware
David S. Ware chronology
Earthquation
(1994)Earthquation1994
Cryptology
(1995)
Oblations and Blessings
(1996)Oblations and Blessings1996

Cryptology is an album by American jazz saxophonist David S. Ware recorded in 1994 and released on Homestead.

Background

In fall 1992, Steven Joerg took over as Homestead Records’ manager. While he continued the label’s indie-rock trajectory, Joerg adopted a radically different vision integrating free jazz on the same label where Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr and Big Black recorded seminal records.[1] Pianist Matthew Shipp, who had a duo record with bassist William Parker on a Texas punk-rock label which had a deal with Homestead's parent company, talked him into signing the David S. Ware Quartet.[2] According to Ware, Cryptology was "a meditation on Coltrane's example of using music as a vehicle for transcendence."[3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic 4/5 stars[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz 3/4 stars[5]

In his review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek says about the album "It is raw, unwavering, and intense almost beyond measure."[4] The Penguin Guide to Jazz states that "the long-form, linked improvisations on Cryptology is an impressive first draft."[5]

The album garnered a Lead Review slot in Rolling Stone by David Fricke, who says about the title piece "It's a sharp lesson for anyone who thinks free jazz is just a euphemism for no discipline".[6]

The Wire placed the album in their "50 Records Of The Year 1995" list.[7]

Track listing

All compositions by David S. Ware
  1. "Solar Passage" – 6:42
  2. "Direction: Pleiades" – 9:04
  3. "Dinosauria" – 10:03
  4. "Cryptology / Theme Stream" – 14:19
  5. "Panoramic" – 10:45
  6. "The Liberator" – 10:44

Personnel

References

  1. The oral history of AUM Fidelity at The Village Voice
  2. In Praise of David S. Ware at The Village Voice
  3. David S. Ware interview at Perfect Sound Forever
  4. 4.0 4.1 Jurek, Thom. David S. Ware – Cryptology: Review at AllMusic. Retrieved March 1, 2014.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. Rolling Stone review by David Fricke
  7. 1995 Rewind at The Wire