Featuring John Dikeman on tenor sax, Jon Barrios on bass, and Toshi Makihara on percussion, the three tracks on this release -- a total of approximately forty minutes -- are a perplexing assortment of squeaks and creaks, esoteric free jams that as often as not degenerate into stretches of near-silence before climbing back up into agitated explosions of barbaric sax bleat and cranky clattering. The "rhythm section" has less to do with traditional rhythm than with making eccentric ripples of noise while Dikeman wrings tortured, shaking notes from his sax. The energy level ebbs and flows in a genuinely unpredictable fashion; even taking into account the unexpected nature of free improv, these guys are so cryptic that it's nearly impossible to guess where they're headed at any given moment. There's plenty of space evident, especially during the quieter moments; occasionally Dikeman will have the chance to bleat and squeak without too much accompaniment (or accompaniment that is very much in the background, and not terribly intrusive). One of the more interesting things about the trio is Makihara's idiosyncrastic approach to percussion; there's no information on what kind of kit (if any) he's using, but it certainly doesn't sound like a traditional one, and his percussion style is rooted in an eccentric approach to beats, one in which he is less interested in "keeping time" and more concerned with providing texture and counterpoint to the bass and sax lines. Not that either of those guys are behaving in any kind of traditional fashion, either. This is not totally out in left field, and when they're cooking it's fairly busy (and quite energetic), but it's certainly not traditional jazz by any means. Puzzling, often deliberately so, but still most intriguing.

Review from The One True Dead Angel.

... Together they're highly attentive, creating a kinetic, elastic improvised music that leapfrogs from stretches of hyper-tensile activity to quiet, tentative gestures. Dikeman's language stretches from aching runs of notes through flurries and slurs, into some arcing extended techniques that fold beautifully into Makihara's clattery pointillism. Barrios often sits quietly to one side, but he's a stealthy, generous player; some of his arco sections are deliciously plangent, and he slips across the strings with grace.

Jon Dale Signal to Noise

Enregistré en concert à Philadelphie en 2006, We Need You assemble deux improvisations du trio John Dikeman (saxophone ténor) / Jon Barrios (contrebasse) / Toshi Makihara (batterie) – section rythmique déjà repérée aux côtés du saxophoniste Jack Wright.

La particularité du groupe, d’apparaître dès les premières minutes : qui façonne avec soin la texture sonore chaleureuse de l’ensemble, et offre un compromis intelligent entre un héritage reçu du free jazz – graves puis sifflements intempestifs du ténor – et un autre glané du côté d’une histoire plus européenne de l’improvisation – emportements secs et gardés en retrait de la section rythmique. Déjà éclairée, l’inspiration ne craindra pas une fois le spectre de l’essoufflement.

Review from Grisli.

"From the same label that released the amazing and now out of print live Growing cd, as well as exclusive, limited and long gone releases from Sunn 0))), Boris, and the mighty Keiji Haino. This most recent release comes from free jazz saxophonist John Dikeman. Four extended pieces. The first, a pecussion / sax duo, a beautiful moody, skronky romp, the final two tracks, extended jams with Dikeman and full quartet, wild and spastic, lots of chaotic drumming, splattery percussion and free jazz skronk. Our favorite though has to be the second track, a solo sax / harmonica piece for modern dance (the picture on the front of the sleeve shows dancer Zack Fuller all ablur along side Dikeman and his sax), the harmonica wheezes out extended drones, the sax careening through ear piercing high ends, moaning out rumbling bleating lowend, the whole thing dense with the big empty room reverb. Quite nice! Packaged in a gorgeous full color oversized sleeve."

From Aquarius Records.

What is it about the best conversations that are so pleasing to the soul? Some say it’s the choice of words, but it’s the rhythm. When friends get together to communicate, they speak a song. Most deserve the ether, but a rare few demand to linger. John Dikeman and Jon Barrios’ exchanges are timeless, expressed in sound, not words. Dikeman is ferocity on saxophone and Barrios is untarnished skill on Bass. They are unmarred by formal institutions, raw and informed – provocative not pandering. Theirs are sonic conversations worthy of all ears. As you listen to their talks, put aside your prejudices, absorb their beats, let your mind drift over their sea of notes and see what sounds you utter alongside. Don’t be afraid of what you expunge. Release yourself into the mix; it’s pre-said, but still inclusive. Call over your friends, join in, dance along. Cacophony away!

Aloysha Faunhill
Vice President, Sovrano Records.