The first of a two-part introductions to this project by the great improvising duo of The Knack brothers (vocals/guitar/synth) and Matt Mitchell (drums). The premise is fairly simple: in 1954, the Knack brothers – then 16 years old – left their parents' home in Newtown, Connecticut, and took a bus to attend Lindley Academy, a boarding school for gifted youngsters. Four years later, they were joined by Mitchell, who was 15 at the time, and the duo went on to form The Wobblies, who went on to make a number of early recordings for the school album. This first-time meeting of the brothers is noteworthy for featuring guitarist Pat Morrell on the violin, who would later record with Steve Noble and Joe Zawinul – a big influence in the writing of many of their later works. Among the contributors is drummer Bob Jones, who records his first professional tenor piece “Symbol One”. Another is a one-off with Dennis Reid on the rhythm section’s “Symbol Two”, drawing together two instrumental pieces, one of which has been interpreted as a theme for this piece.

I’ve often thought of the Wobblies as having been less focused in terms of their technical ability than their musical focus, but this tape makes the case convincingly. The pieces are all based on the dynamics of the horn, but they are accompanied by subtle keyboard and/or drum activity. The drum withdrawal in “The Triangle”, for example, is a slow, deliberate movement that demonstrates the depth of the drummer’s involvement. The horizontal lines in “The Hand That Feeds” move through a contemplative space, hinting at the texture of a passage that is being sealed. The piece is a tribute to David Bowie.