On their third collaboration, improvisational artists Joel Futterman and Ike Levi join forces with the highly creative and technically masterful cellist Kash Killion to create spontaneous improvised music with a powerful sense of movement, purpose, and cohesive action. These three musicians display an innate sense of connection that keeps them in close communication throughout and bring their individual creativity together into a single, synergistic musical expression. This is a tight improvisational trio who produce vibrant, inspired music that is highly engrossing, emotional, and unquestionably communicative. About The Artists: Joel Futterman known for his spirited, highly imaginative, and radical piano technique is a veteran pioneer into the frontiers of spontaneous, improvised music. He is considered one of the foremost inventive and adventurous artists shaping the creative, progressive music scene today. He has performed across North America and Europe including at such noted music festivals as The Tampere Jazz Festival in Finland, the Visions Festival in New York, The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and the North Sea Festival in Dennmark. He has compiled a discography of over 30 recordings including work with such notable jazz innovators as Jimmy Lyons, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Joseph Jarman, Richard Davis, Al Fielder, and Hal Russell, as well as Edward "Kidd" Jordan with whom he has had a highly productive association in recent years. Ike Levin is a Chicago reed player now residing in the San Francisco Bay area where he is active in the developing new music scene. His robust, muscular tenor saxophone tone can range from edgy and piercing to breathy and sensuous as he displays full command of his instrument. On this recording, he doubles on bass clarinet. Levin's strong, free improvisational talents are rooted in a reverence and appreciation for the blues, bebop, and contemporary chamber music. He studied with the legendary jazz saxophonist Joe Daley and Fred Anderson, co-founder of the Chicago based Association for The Advancement of Creative Music (AACM), as well as the Roosevelt University Music Conservatory in Chicago. Ike has performed around the U.S. with such noted jazz artists as Ira Sullivan, Wilbur Campbell, Robert Barry, Smiley Winters, Von Freeman, Ed Petersen, Yancy Taylor, and Robert Porter, as well as leading his own small ensembles. Kash Killion is a San Francisco based composer, cellist, and bassist who began his professional music career at age ten. He has performed at the Herbst Theater and Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco, the Lincoln Center and Weill Recital Hall (Carnegie Hall) in New York, as well as several jazz festivals in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. In addition to performing, Mr. Killion choreographs music for dance theater and poetry readings. Mr. Killion studied classical conta bass with David Young of the Texas Symphony, and violin with Emile Jorso. Later he studied cello with Marilyn Blanc of the Oakland Symphony. He has performed with such jazz notables as Donald Byrd, George Cables, Julius Hemphill, Reggie Workman, John Zorn, George Lewis, Pharoah Sanders, Sun Ra, Ali Akbar, and Cecil Taylor. In addition to his musical work in jazz and improvised music, Mr. Killion performs with various ethnic music ensembles and chamber orchestras and has over a dozen recordings to his credit. MEDIA COVERAGE "LifeLine offers its own special richness. From the first note of "Paradox, " you know this recording is something special...the cello, piano, and tenor creating, coalescing and taking you out there." All About Music "Some of the most straight ahead improvised music you will ever have the pleasure of listening to. Adventurists everywhere will want this one for their collection...it gets our most Highly Recommended & the Pick of this Issue for "most full-bodied improv." Improvijazzationation "Sort of like a roller coaster ride that starts right on top and lasts about an hour. The ability to listen and respond to each other fuses them into one large sound." One Final Note "Levin and Futterman continue to inject a vibrantly fresh perspective into the sometimes- staid modern jazz/free improv arena (A strong outing)." All About Jazz "Inspirational and compelling..." Jazz Times