Headlands

It is fair to say that the Natto Quartet have a rather unusual instrumentation. The shakuhachi and koto are rarely utilized in jazz, while Tim Perkis' electronics give an otherworldly effect to the music. The seven originals by Perkis and Philip Gelb (who is on shakuhachi) are quite moody and atmospheric, sometimes little more than sound explorations. The sounds achieved by the four musicians are quite interesting, but the individual tunes are not too memorable and there is little development, so this odd date does not live up to its potential. The results are eccentric background music.