The music on New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges was captured entirely live in single takes at Montreal's Hotel2Tango studio, with no overdubs or looping, using over 20 mics positioned close and far throughout the live room. It features vocals from musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson ("Judges", "A Dream of Water", "Red Horse (Judges II)", and "Fear of the unknown and the blazing sun"), and lead-singer of My Brightest Diamond, Shara Worden ("Lord I just can't keep from crying sometimes" and "Fear of the unknown and the blazing sun"). more on w'pedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_History_Warfare_Vol._2:_Judges Read more on Last.fm.
Making as good a case for the relevance of jazz in the 21st century as any record so far released, “Judges” is truly like nothing else I’ve ever heard. Beginning with a horn blast eerily similar to that of the ship in the film “District 9,” the album opens with an ominous menace that soon gives over to a spacious, cerebral experience that doesn’t groove or stomp – this album PULSES. Though it is filled with some of the most inventive playing of Stetson’ s career “Judges” never challenges its listener as much as provides him a living, breathing foundation upon which to ponder its themes of sadness and turmoil. The listener is guided through the myriad soundscapes by the odd vocal track (Shara Worden’s lead on “Lord I Just Can’t Keep From Crying Sometimes” being an especially soulful highlight) and narrations provided by Laurie Anderson reminiscent of either Terence Malick’s poetic asides or the voice-overs from Ralph Bakshi’s “Wizards.” Meanwhile, the repetitive motifs achieved through Stetson’s circular breathing technique recall some of Philip Glass’s most hypnotic scores. These filmic references are telling: this is one of the most cinematic records in years, coaxing anyone who hears it to sink deep within its expanses, a world as dark and affecting as our own. Not just a triumph for Stetson as a musician, a triumph for the evocation of humanity in art.