The quartet was first proposed by Glick Rieman to Frith, with whom he had worked at Mills College in Oakland. Frith added Dalaba to the project, and Glick Rieman, Frith and Dalaba performed with John Zorn at Derek Bailey's Incus Festival at Tonic in New York City. Kihlstedt joined the trio later at the suggestion of Glick Rieman, and the quartet's first performance was at Myles Boisen's Guerrilla Recording studio in Oakland.[4]
In a review of the album at AllMusic, François Couture wrote that there is "[a] beautiful level of understanding" between the four musicians, and that while the music is improvised, it "sounds deeply structured". He praised "Worm Anvils", which he described as "long, slow, delicate, and full of mesmerizing sounds, courtesy of Glick Rieman". Couture felt that while this album is not as "absorbing" as other Frith collaborative albums from the time, for example Digital Wildlife with Maybe Monday, it "still provides a very rewarding listen".[2]
Frank Rubolino in All About Jazz called the album an "eclectic mirage" with "animated gaiety countered with sadness", and moods swinging from "stark depression to overt jubilation".[3] Writing in Exposé, Jeff Melton described the album as "seven dialogs ... each winding up in a dark alley alone with no explanation". He felt the strongest track was "Shallow Weather", with its "Derek Bailey styled introduction into a jazz malaise". Melton said fans of Frith's collaborations with Chris Cutler will appreciate this recording.[5]
^ abcAccretions Records (2003). Dalaba Frith Glick Rieman Kihlstedt (CD liner notes). Lesli Dalaba, Fred Frith, Eric Glick Rieman and Carla Kihlstedt.
^ abRamond, Michel; Roussel, Patrice; Vuilleumier, Stephane. "Discography of Fred Frith". New York Downtown Scene and Other Miscellaneous Discographies. Archived from the original on 19 June 2019. Retrieved 23 November 2017.
