Survival Unit III

Survival Unit III

The Art Of Flight

Astral Spirits / Instigation

***Astral Spirits and the Instigation Festival are proud to announce the first release on Instigation Records: The Art of Flight: For Alvin Fielder by Survival Unit III (Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Joe McPhee (tenor saxophone, pocket trumpet), Michael Zerang (percussion).  This set finds the trio breaking new ground - Lonberg-Holm going sans electronics for the first time in Survival Unit III's storied discography - while displaying the mastery of sonic shade and deft interplay that's been their hallmark over the past sixteen plus years.  Beautifully recorded at the New Orleans Jazz Museum during the 2018 Instigation Festival, the night was fittingly historic: Survival Unit III performed the middle set of a three act bill featuring Ken Vandermark's Marker (released as Roadwork 1 on Vandermark's Audiographic imprint) and the final performance of McPhee (filling in last minute for an ill Kidd Jordan) with legendary drummer and beloved AACM elder Alvin Fielder to whom this album is dedicated. That set - with James Singleton on bass to round out the trio - will be released on LP in 2023 as the third title on Instigation Records.  With precious few recordings of Survival Unit III, every new release is a cause for celebration, and a perfect encapsulation of the spirit of the festival: honoring the history by crafting the future.

Survival Unit III

Straylight (Live At Jazzhouse Copenhagen)

Monofonus Press / Astral Spirits

We are proud to present another chapter from the powerhouse known as Survival Unit III…Joe McPhee, Fred Lonberg-Holm & Michael Zerang have been playing together as SUIII for well over 2 decades now and continue to refine and expand their horizons.Straylight is light in an optical system, which was not intended in the design. The light may be from the intended source, but follow paths other than intended, or it may be from a source other than the intended source. This light will often set a working limit on the dynamic range of the system; it limits the signal-to-noise ratio or contrast ratio, by limiting how dark the system can be.This definition of Straylight applies here due to a slight mixup during production. You may find similarities with another SUIII release called “Straylight” on Zerang’s own Pink Palace Records, which was recorded 9 months after this tape. Turns out that with both releases in production at the same time there was an accidental mixup and the same titles were sent for both of these releases. However in the beautiful words of Joe McPhee himself:“It looks like in the fog of war, signals got crossed. I think honesty is the best policy here. In our fly by the seat of your pants world, sometimes our balls hang out. As Cecil Taylor’s solo Hat Hut recording proclaims, “IT IS IN THE BREWING LUMINOUS.” The music will tell the story, making the whole project all the more a collector’s item.”Indeed we certainly believe...