Over the years, trumpeter Nate Wooley has collaborated with the likes of Anthony Braxton, John Zorn, David Grubbs, C. Spencer Yeh, Wolf Eyes, among many others. This list should offer a pretty clear indication that we’re not dealing with some Wynton Marsalis-style trumpet playing here. Wooley, much like nmperign’s Greg Kelley, totally re-defines the possibilities of the instrument. In fact, it’s difficult to imagine that a trumpet is even being played on much of this record.

On “Trumpet A”, Wooley blows out short bursts of squealing noise, at times muted and others at a more frenzied pitch. By “Trumpet B” though, he’s breathing pure metallic fury, rivaling any number of power electronics heavies. On the flip side’s “Amplifier”, there is a more shuffled and layered sound, at times just as shrill and abrasive as the first side; however, you’d swear there was at least five pair of hands and sets of lungs mixing up this racket before things settle into a comparably tranquil closing.

The thought of “Trumpet/Amplifier”, maybe some Wasteland Jazz Unit material too, somehow slipping onto Bob Parlocha’s Jazz Overnight playlist puts a huge smile on my face. “Trumpeter becoming trumpet. Brass ventriloquism.” Yer darn tootin’. 7/10 -- David Perron (9 June, 2010)