Arc of the Testimony
Arc of the Testimony is the second and final album by American jazz fusion band Arcana. It was released on bassist Bill Laswell's Axiom label on October 14, 1997. Unlike the trio configuration on the first album, this project features a spacier, slightly less abstract form of fusion music. Bill Laswell and drummer Tony Williams composed and developed the music, and co-produced the album together.
| Arc of the Testimony | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 14, 1997 | |||
| Recorded | Greenpoint Studio, Brooklyn, New York | |||
| Genre | Jazz fusion, free jazz | |||
| Length | 53:27 | |||
| Label | Axiom/Island | |||
| Producer | Bill Laswell, Tony Williams | |||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[2] |
Laswell invited a number of musicians to contribute, including legendary tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. Other contributors included alto saxophonist Byard Lancaster, and electric guitarists Nicky Skopelitis and Buckethead. Tony Williams died suddenly on February 23, 1997 while this album was still in production, and thus it represents his last recorded work.
Track listing
All music is composed by Bill Laswell and Tony Williams.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gone Tomorrow" | 9:39 |
| 2. | "Illuminator" | 6:07 |
| 3. | "Into the Circle" | 9:25 |
| 4. | "Returning" | 4:29 |
| 5. | "Calling Out the Blue Light" | 6:37 |
| 6. | "Circles of Hell" | 7:15 |
| 7. | "Wheeless on a Dark River" | 4:27 |
| 8. | "The Earth Below" | 5:28 |
| Total length: | 53:27 | |
Personnel
- Bill Laswell – bass guitar, synthesizer, production
- Graham Haynes – cornet on "Gone Tomorrow" and "Into the Circle"
- Pharoah Sanders – tenor saxophone
- Byard Lancaster – alto saxophone on "Gone Tomorrow", "Into the Circle", "Calling Out the Blue Light"
- Buckethead – guitar on "Illuminator", "Returning" and "Circles of Hell"
- Nicky Skopelitis – guitar, oud
- Tony Williams – drums, production
- Robert Musso – engineering
- Oz Fritz – engineering assistant
- Michael Fossenkemper – mastering
- Russell Mills – artwork
- Michael Webster – design
References
- Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Arc of the Testimony at AllMusic
- Robert Christgau review
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