Jason Stein, Damon Smith, Adam Shead

*2025 stock* Balance Point Acoustics proudly presents Volumes & Surfaces, a bold new statement in contemporary free jazz from the extraordinary trio of Jason Stein (bass clarinet), Damon Smith (double bass), and Adam Shead (drums). Recorded in Chicago at Elastic Arts and The Hungry Brain, this album showcases three of creative music’s most distinctive voices in full flight.

Volumes & Surfaces reveals the trio’s uncanny synergy, adventurous spirit, and unyielding commitment to improvisational exploration. From the crystalline clarity and sinewy agility of Stein’s bass clarinet to Smith’s resonant, pulse-driven bass and Shead’s exuberant, coloristic drumming, each moment crackles with invention and interplay. The music flows seamlessly between angular intensity and moments of surprising lyricism, blending tradition with fearless innovation.

The album opens with “Heterodox Symmetry,” where precise lines and spontaneous gestures intertwine, setting the tone for a recording that transcends convention. Tracks like "Blue Isn't for Sitting" and “The Deaf Voice of the Light” move through hushed tension and explosive release, illustrating the group’s ability to balance intricacy with unbridled energy. The trio’s improvisation is conversational, telepathic—each musician continuously inventing while being deeply attuned to the others.