Jason Stein's Locksmith Isidore, 'Three Less Than Between'; Jason Stein, 'In Exchange For a Process'

Jason Stein specializes in an instrument that even most reed players don’t touch: the bass clarinet. And despite the fact that he’s not well known outside Chicago (or even in it), he’s releasing two very different albums on two different labels tomorrow. Neither approaches the outer edges of mainstream. One is a trio outing - his group Locksmith Isidore, which includes bassist Jason Roebke and drummer Mike Pride - and it is an outstanding exercise in free improvisation. Little sounds planned in advance; melodies are few and far between. But there is a road map to link the 11 tracks, which rise and crest and ebb like waves of sound. The other album is a solo effort: 42 minutes of Stein alone on his bass clarinet. The instrument’s low, melancholy tone is beautifully naked against the backdrop of silence, and Stein has enough vision, confidence, and command to make every breath count. This isn’t 42 minutes of crazy, ear-piercing wailing a la Evan Parker; Stein conjures long passages of melody out of thin air. (Out tomorrow)

STEVE GREENLEE

ESSENTIAL “In Exchange for a Process,’’ in its entirety