Nicole Mitchell's emergence as the jazz flutist of the moment and Jeff Parker's continuing ascension as one of improvisational music's great young guitarists - is only furthered by their work together onAwakening. Featuring bassist Harrison Bankhead (Mitchell's Indigo Trio partner) and drummer Avreeayl Ra, it's an album of bold, earthy-to-ethereal mood shifts delivered with consummate ease.As good as her broadly thematic long form works with her larger Black Earth Ensemble are, they tend to hem in Mitchell the soloist. Here, floating freely in space, she gets to show off her full-toned intensity in all its shapes and textures, making sharp but sparing use of dark trills, slurred long notes and vocal effects. (On the steadily changingTurning on a Thread, her wordless intonations suggest the Donald Byrd choirs of the early '60s.)The tunes include the pithy opening swinger,Curly Top, the gorgeous lamentMore Than I Can Sayand the Indian-tingedCenter of the Earth. In unison and counterpoint, Mitchell and Parker suggest the comfort level of a seasoned dance duo. (Parker, a master of texture and tonality himself, ranges from chiming single-note lines and brisk, soulful chording to Derek Bailey-like spiked phrases and electronic eruptions.) And while these four AACM veterans have never played as a quartet before, they sound every bit the long-running working unit. --Lloyd Sachs, Jazz TimesFlautist Nicole Mitchell's generous improvisational abilities are at the musical heart ofAwakening. Not only does she move effortlessly from single-note lines and sliding honks to wispy, soft timbres, but she is equally comfortable moving from pure melodic phrasing to more experimental, free content. Coupled with an exceptional trio backing, Mitchell's album crackles with infectious spontaneity. Her music manages to be at once reflective and energetic, accessible as well as clever. --Jack Huntley, All About JazzAACM president Nicole Mitchell has been widely celebrated as one of the foremost flautists of current-day jazz, but sometimes her recordings are so jam-packed full of musicians that it's hard to hear her instrument. Not here.Awakeningfeatures a lean quartet where she's the only aeropone - all the better to display the full range of her capabilities. Sparring with her is frequent collaborator Jeff Parker, who vacillates between being a lead and accompanying instrument, often several times within the same song. With other frequent associates (bassist Harrison Bankhead and drummer Avreeayl Ra) providing a muscular rhythm section, Mitchell unleashes some avant flute funk onJourney on a ThreadandCenter of the Earth, which would blow Herbie Mann away at 20 paces.She trills, sings through the flute and breaks out a range of other extended techniques to soar over then stab at these rhythms. The sense of space on this disc is unlike anything else in Mitchell's catalog, savefrequency, which coincidentally features both Ra and Bankhead. Still, Parker's utility and wide range of electronic contributions elevate this album beyond that project. --David Dacks, Improv & Avant-Garde Review