The Fortune is now available at Downtown Music Gallery in NYC. As with all releases they offer, the staff, headed by Bruce Gallanter, writes reviews and gives insight into the release. Thanks for the kind words!

JIM IVY/JOHN AJAC – The Fortune (Ilse 25; USA) Jim Ivy on alto & soprano saxes, feedback, oscillators, real & sampled piano & gamecalls and John Ajac on voice & text. I’ve known Florida-based improviser Jim Ivy since the early days of the Victo Festival when we met in the late eighties. He has collaborated with Davey Williams as well as a number of players from the Orlando area. I wasn’t familiar with Mr. Ajac before this but he does offer some interesting words to this disc. I’ve heard Jim play sax in the past but here he is concentrating on a variety of soundscapes. This disc includes four pieces which are titled acts like in a play. “Act One: The Devices of Wicked Men” features some eerie waves of feedback while John describes the last thoughts and words of a captured Native American. The feedback builds and expands in shifting layers and is used most effectively. It is rare to hear anyone else besides John Zorn playing mouthpieces & gamecalls but this is what Mr. Ivy does so well on a few of these pieces, often recalling the time when Mr. Zorn played reeds mostly this way. Half of these pieces are instrumental and do a fine job of exploring and setting the mood in between the others acts. Each act describes a scene or short story with compelling backing from Mr. Ivy’s thoughtful and often hypnotic sonic palette. Mr. Ajac’s words dip into some wild west-like imagery providing us with different scenes to contemplate. A strong duo offering from a couple of freaks in Florida.

– Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery