Stark, moody, and deeply conceptual, Cerberus Rising is the first in a trilogy of solo releases scheduled to unfold over the next two years by reedist and electronics musician Jason Robinson. While the second and third installations feature Robinson’s latest forays into electronics and multi-track recording, Cerberus Rising assumes a more minimal and austere posture, using only the tenor saxophone. Primarily improvised, the pieces draw from a repertoire and improvisational vocabulary developed over several years of touring as a solo performer. At times reverently melodic, at other times brusquely discordant, each piece charts it own terrain and possesses its own character, structure, and internal logic. In dialogue with the solo work of Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Evan Parker, John Butcher, and Gianni Gebbia, Robinson’s approach to the saxophone draws both subtly and overtly on the extended expressive potential of the instrument—multiphonics, growls, hisses, squeaks, and flutter sounds are all par for the course. The centerpiece of the album is a stretched rendition of John Coltrane’s classic “After the Rain,” the only cover song on the recording.
“…a potent improviser who occasionally steps into the Albert Ayler zone…thoughtful writing and bold instincts.”
-Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes
"Wildy spontaneous..."
-Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times
“Robinson leads decidedly thoughtful, ebullient explorations into interior creative landscapes.” -Fred Bouchard, All About Jazz