Collin Sherman

“Collin Sherman's music is a testament to the power of vision and individuality. In a world where conformity often reigns, he is carving out his own space—one richly atmospheric, deeply personal track at a time. Sherman's work offers an intriguing journey into the unexpected, whether you are drawn to cinematic soundscapes or dense, droning textures.” - Robert Middleton

“Noir is a worthy attempt to apply the ethos of Morton Feldman to improvised music.” - Andy Hamilton

“One inspiration for Noir is the work of American classical composer Morton Feldman, specifically Feldman's chamber ensemble pieces. As the making of the album progressed, the focus drifted away from the Feldman feeling, to become something of it own Sherman-esque entity. The music is cinematic—like a soundtrack to a movie based on a Raymond Chandler or Dashiell Hammett novel. Sherman is painting sonic pictures of dim alleys at midnight, cold mist floating six inches off the ground, a black cat darting by, black water standing in the potholes, a monolithic dumpster looming in the background, a rat peeking up over its lid. Spacious and eerie, the atmosphere has a sort of supernatural resonance, similar to that of Miles Davis Ascenseur pour l'échafaud (Fontana, 1958); and while much of Sherman's previous work could be labeled free jazz, Noir is something else—deeply-ruminative improvisational back-alley musings, perhaps. Excellent wee hours listening. ★★★★☆” - Dan McClenaghan

“In large part String Planes is about improvisation of alto saxophone over layered drones. The tunes are like soundtracks to your strangest dreams. The combination of oboe, electric cello, bowed box guitar with cello strings (and who came up with that combination?) on 'Slipping Through the String Planes, Part 1' is surreal. It conjures images of stark desert landscapes. 'Slipping Through The String Planes, Part 2' is more of the same, but more anguished. These are lonely, searching sounds. The truth may be just out of reach. . . . Sherman can be feral on the alto saxophone. ★★★★1/2” - Dan McClenaghan

“Playing a wide variety of horns, electronics and seemingly whatever is laying around, Collin Sherman creates an album of musical sound effects, almost like a reed equivalent of Morton Subotnick. Eerie modulations hover on 'Glassine and Glycerin' and musical fur balls are coughed up on 'Late Edition'. Ooga Chackas bounce around on 'Dialectic Rejected' and feed back is fed back for 'Hegemonic Virtues'. Tensile and static pulses mix with right angles on 'Across Three Fields' electric currents hover on 'Failed Deontological Promise'. Don’t listen to this near any water or you might get electrocuted.” - George W. Harris