Tickled Pink

That's the title of the first track of Up Popped the Two Lips, a disk I recently bought, and that's what I was to find that Henry Threadgill's Zooid was going to be performing at International House, the last show in a five-part series by the Ars Nova Workshop, showcasing "the progression of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians." The sextet featured a drummer, guitarist, two cellists, and, in addition to Mr. Threadgill's alto sax and flute, a leather-clad tuba player. The wild instrumentation typified avant jazz, but, because of the incredible talent assembled by Threadgill, it was strangely melodic. I especially loved cellist Dana Leong, but the intensity of the performance as a whole was overwhelming. Threadgill took on more of the role of conductor, and I would have liked to have heard more of him and his sax. But, I was so pleased to see him in Philadelphia, where he hadn't been for more than 15 years. International House was packed almost to capacity with a fabulously diverse audience, including my friend Mark, who I ran into unexpectedly at the show. Zooid is not for everyone, and it wasn't for my partner in crime at the show. She was relieved to hear Threadgill announce the last piece after a short hour, but the overall vibe at the event and the quality of the sound could have kept me rapt for another hour at least.