First meetings are always a risk, but if the vibrations are right and the doors are open, magic will be made. When the members of Look Both Days (brought together by Chicago pianist Erez Dessel) took the stage on the opening night of the 2023 Catalytic Sound Festival, nobody knew quite what to expect. With Marvin Tate on the mic, Mai Sugimoto and Fred Jackson Jr. both on alto saxophone, Erez Dessel on piano, and Ben Hall on drums, these stalwarts of the midwestern improvised music scene were poised to create something special, and what unfolded that night was a true example of the power of first meetings.

From the boisterous drumming and sharp tones that open “Make Sure You Look Your Best,” listeners are brought to the edge of their seats. Tate’s probing questions and phrases guide both the band and the audience, and weave dense linguistic narrative throughout the music. Drama ensues throughout the album, with chaotic episodes giving way to songs like “Friends,” which showcases Sugimoto and Jackson Jr. in a tender duo moment. By the end of “Talk To The Lord” it’s clear that the band showed up, told their story, and slammed the door on the way out. Dessel begins with a muted piano ostinato that stirs the group into a slow frenzy, with Hall’s drumming pressing determinedly on the ears. Tate’s way with words seems to both reflect the form that’s being created and somehow refute it, this is music that can’t be contained. What might have been a one-and-done assemblage at the start of the night quickly turned into a powerful group statement, and with this record, Look Both Days begs the question… What’s next?