A Man in a Room, Gambling is a 1992 collaboration between Spanish sculptor Juan Muñoz and composer Gavin Bryars. Created as a series of ten, five-minute programs for broadcast on the BBC, A Man in a Room, Gambling aired, in accordance with Muñoz' concept, "like the weather forecast." Each five-minute "episode" features the foreground element of Muñoz reading a text describing how to perform subtle, unnoticeable card tricks during a poker game to put the edge in your favor. In the background, Bryars' lonely, black and white music, as played by the Balanescu String Quartet, deftly follows the action described in Muñoz's texts, accenting the mood but never intruding. Some understanding of Muñoz's work as a sculptor does not hurt comprehension of A Man in a Room, Gambling -- his realistic, human figures stand silent in an odd juxtaposition to one another, evoking an alienated stillness that is disquieting, yet calm. This recording represents the same mood almost exactly -- the notion of a man, alone in a dark room practicing card tricks over and over again, with the realization that the tricks are only effective if they are executed in a way that is imperceptible.
A selection of five pieces from A Man in a Room, Gambling was originally issued as a Point Music release that disappeared from sight almost as quickly as one of Muñoz's playing cards. Muñoz died suddenly in 2001, and the continued availability of this important cycle of work became an issue, in part prompting Bryars to get into the record business with his own GB Records. This disc restores A Man in a Room, Gambling to its full cycle of ten pieces, and stands as an appropriate homage to the tremendous artistic talent that Muñoz was. This will not be a disc that one will use for housecleaning, dining, or getting up in the morning, but as an alternative to reading or watching television late at night. A Man in a Room, Gambling is a wonderful and unique experience.
