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Henry Kuntz has been intimately involved in free jazz and free improvisation for more than 20 years. From 1973 to 1979, he was editor and publisher of the internationally- acclaimed newsletter BELLS. He first recorded on tenor saxophone in 1977 on Henry Kaiser's Ice Death (Parachute 005). He has played musette and various flutes since 1981, miniature, violins since 1983, gamelans and xylophones since 1988. On Humming Bird Records, he has released 2 LPs, 16 cassettes, and 3 CDs of solo, group, and multi-tracked free improvisations.

With Brian Godchaux and John Kuntz, in 1986, he formed the "avant-shamanic trance jazz" group, Opeye, which now also includes Ben and Esten Lindgren. He has traveled extensively (over 20 years) to Mexico, Central and South America, Asia, and Indonesia recording, studying, and drawing upon aspects of music, ritual, dance, and performance -- from which 5 ethnographic cassettes have also been produced.

Moss Becomes Silk
Avant-Shamanic Trance Jazz

Opeye>>>
   Henry Kuntz (tenor saxophone, Chinese musette,
                           Nepalese bamboo flute, Bolivian
                           and Balinese bamboo flutes,
                           Mexican Indian violin, Javanese
                           gamelan, percussion)
   Ben Lindgren (bass, gamelan)
   Brian Godchaux (viola, gamelan, percussion)
   Esten Lindgren (trombone, trumpet, voice, steel
                                 guitar, ukulele, percussion)
   John Kuntz (steel guitar, mandolin, ukulele,
                         gamelan, xylophone, percussion)

From free improvisational pioneer Henry Kuntz and his quintet, OPEYE...an improvising collective playing spontaneously created music using a myriad of ancient and modern day instruments. Freely spun passages played on Asian, Oceanian, and South American reeds and strings are wedded with the music from traditional Western instruments on a recording with kaleidoscopic originality and ever-changing textures. Nepal, Bolivia, Bali, China, Mexico, Java, and Hawaii are the origin of many of their exotic instruments, all of which blend in joyous harmony with the tenor, violin, bass and other more recognizable music makers. The combinations of instruments seem endless as they produce music that has a discernible flow to support the atonality that abounds.

This is a must-have recording for all listeners and collectors of American free improvisation.

"The music always remains intelligent, dynamically rich free improvisation, in a refreshing variety of instrumental colours." -- Michael Tucker (Jazz Journal International)

"It's a flavoursome experience, graphically recorded." -- The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD

"The closest sonic corollaries might be found in the freest playing of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, although there is no single precedent for OPEYE's kaleidoscopic instrumental textures." -- Derk Richardson (SF Bay Guardian)

Twelve tracks in 71:53 minutes.

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If you like this cd, you might also enjoy listening to:

Meditations On Impermanence (OPEYE)

Branches (Northwoods Improvisors)

The Sale of Tickets for Money Was Abolished (Bevan, Smith, Looney)

Echoes of A Northern Sky (Northern Lights Ensemble)

The Other Shore (Alex Cline, Jeff Gauthier, G.E. Stinson)

Lowest Note   (Tony Wilson Sextet)

Remote Viewing Ensemble

Scrawls From the Unconscious (Forest Floor)