Pam and Gary Windo were coupled in spirit with a private passion for the musical road less travelled. During their marriage, Gary taught Pam how to approach the piano as an "expressive extension of life", the aesthetic that informed his mastery of the tenor saxophone. Their mutual support flowered into numerous compositions for various recording projects, while journeys into the realm of free improvisation remained private.
In 1976 an opportunity to perform at the Maidstone College of Art as a duo allowed them to bring along the rhythm section from the Brotherhood of Breath, bassist Harry Miller and drummer Louis Moholo, for a set. Gary captured this concert by placing on stage a consumer reel-to-reel tape recorder and stereo microphone. In addition is included an extraordinary private home session recording with the magnificent percussionist from Ovary Lodge, Frank Perry. Reel Recordings has meticulously remastered and edited forty minutes of explosive and exploratory episodes of moments frozen in time.
With friends in tow, the extant recordings of Gary and Pam Windo soaring in improvisational flight, with gale force winds in their slipstream, can now be experienced. Avant Gardeners is a vital, visceral listen rooted in love and passion.
Pam Windo: piano
Gary Windo: tenor sax, bass clarinet
Frank Perry: percussion (tracks 2,3,4,5)
Harry Miller: bass (track 6)
Louis Moholo: drums (track 6)
'Stark raving brilliance or sheer madness, the opening duet improv featuring only Pam Windo on piano and the late Gary Windo on tenor sax is an explosion of emotion that is barely contained, absolutely stunning in its primacy, commanding a listener's undivided attention. The remainder of the disc is just icing on the cake after that!' Peter Thelen ~ Expose Magazine
'Pam is a good foil for Gary, empathetic to his often turn-on-a-dime whims and able to able to coax gruff, velvety blues out of the shronk.' Clifford Allen ~ All About Jazz, New York
