ASK has had an eccentric group history: formed by Archer and Jasnoch, beginning as an improvising group with a short lived version including mavericks Dan Weaver and Matt Wand, then going on as a duo to produce the pair of firmly studio based creations released on Discus in 1998 and 2004 respectively.

This current incarnation was prompted by John's desire to concentrate on acoustic instrumentation, and was formed at his suggestion. Both John and Martin wished to move the group into a live performance direction at this point. Since this recording (the first concert by the new quartet), the group has moved on further to become an acoustic improvising six piece.

The style of the group, by and large, side steps both the language of "classic" european free improv and even the more recent lower case improv developments which have previously interested Archer and Jasnoch. Working solely with acoustic woodwind, Archer takes the opportunity to revisit a more "in the tradition" style of playing than on recent records, reflecting a lifelong attachment to the music of Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell. Jasnoch, who put aside his electric intruments to concentrate on developing a more personal style of playing on an extended range of acoustic strings, continues to bring melodic and middle eastern influences to the group. Rosenfeld is a player equally comfortable with both the Trout Quintet and free improv, and she brings a solid melodic sense and some deep listening to the group. Collins, now convincingly reinvented as a vibraphone player, continues to extend the sound of the group still further through his use of a wide range of metal percussion instruments and lamellophones (the mbira family of instruments), placing his sound somewhere between Chicago improv and the industrial music areas with which he has sometimes previously been associated.

So here we are at a typical concert at Notes and Sounds in Sheffield, a small audience in the intimate atmosphere of the upper room at the Red Deer. It was always thus.