This Is My House

For the British TV series, see This Is My House (TV series).

This Is My House
Studio album by NRG Ensemble
Released	1996
Recorded	January 30 & 31, 1995
Studio	Riverside Studio, Chicago
Genre	Jazz
Length	66:47
Label	Delmark
Producer	Steve Lake & Mars Williams
NRG Ensemble chronology
Calling All Mothers (1994) This Is My House (1996) Bejazzo Gets a Facelift (1998)

This Is My House is an album by American jazz group the NRG Ensemble, their second with saxophonist Ken Vandermark in place of the bandleader and multi-instrumentalist Hal Russell, which was recorded in 1995 and released on Delmark.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz	[2]
Down Beat	[3]

The AllMusic review by William York states "Such moments certainly make the album worthwhile for fans, but due to its somewhat inconsistent, under-edited nature (i.e., it is simply too long), This Is My House doesn't rate as the best starting point for folks interested in this group." ^[1]

The Down Beat review by John Ephland says "The material at times seems somewhat colorless, the structures maybe a tad rangy and undeveloped. Still, the band's emotional and stylistic range, Kessler and Sandstrom's very fine doubled-up-basses, not to mention the instrumental variety from everyone, suggest an exciting, loving caldron of free-jazz, bop, and hardcore punk-jazz." ^[3]

Track listing

1. "Hyperspace" (Mars Williams) - 6:21
2. "Cut Flowers" (Ken Vandermark) - 13:29
3. "Whirlwind" (Mars Williams) - 11:02
4. "Bullseye Witness" (Ken Vandermark) - 10:48
5. "Bustanut" (Mars Williams) - 3:52
6. "Burnt Toast" (Mars Williams) - 6:51
7. "Straight Time" (Ken Vandermark) - 4:23
8. "In the Middle of Pennsylvania" (Steve Hunt) - 10:01

Personnel

• Mars Williams - tenor sax, alto sax, soprano sax, clarinet, woodflute, toys
• Ken Vandermark - tenor sax, bass clarinet, clarinet
• Kent Kessler - acoustic bass, electric bass
• Brian Sandstrom - acoustic bass, electric guitar, trumpet
• Steve Hunt - drums, vibraphone, marimba, percussion
• Daniel Scalan - violin on 2
• Don Meckley - short wave radio on 8

References

1. York, William. NRG Ensemble – This Is My House: Review at AllMusic . Retrieved October 10, 2015.
2. Cook, Richard; Brian Morton (2002). The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. The Penguin Guide to Jazz (6th ed.). London: Penguin. p. 1121. ISBN   0140515216.
3. Ephland, John. This Is My House review. Down Beat June 96: page 40. Print.