| Recorded live at Vision Festival 2006, Renunciation was the last US performance by David S. Ware’s revered quartet. Featuring three brand-new compositions—the beauty ballad “Ganesh Sound,” the epic title suite centerpiece, and the condensed encore—this concert, and exquisite recording thereof, offers the quartet at the very height of its powers as the members collectively say goodbye.
“Let’s be bold: the David S. Ware Quartet is the best small band in jazz today. I realize that I will almost certainly hear another quartet, or trio or quintet or octet, this week or next, that will make me want to backpedal. But every time I see Ware’s group or return to the records, it flushes the competition from memory.” — Gary Giddins, Village Voice
“This record is the deepest, most coherent, and most accessible DSWQ disc I’ve heard, and the best record of the year by far. Consider that a recommendation.” — All About Jazz Publisher’s Pick
“Another absolutely killer and essential release for your pathetic and puny music collection from this seemingly possessed avant-jazz giant of the sax. He’s taken the torch of Coltrane and not just carried it, but he threw the damn thing into an active volcano.” — Alternative Press
“Visceral, relentless, cathartic, squalling—many of the words that have long been associated with saxophonist David S. Ware’s recordings and performances apply as well to his new album. The sheer force of his tone—and his seemingly superhuman ability to sustain and manipulate its raw emotional power—are a marvel to behold, perhaps more so now than ever.” — Washington Post |