Guitar Moderne Record Picks XIX

It looks like many of us will be stuck inside for a while and many of these artists will be losing income due to cancelled shows because—virus. It would be a good time to buy some of these new recordings from Eivind Aarset, Nels Cline, David Torn, Eliot Sharp, and others so they have some money coming in and you have something to do while self-quarantining.

Eivind Aarset/Jan Bang Snow Catches on Her Eyelashes [Jazzland Recordings]

Once again, these two artists, Aarset on guitar and Bang on samples, meld into one giant, multihued instrument. Ranging from lyricism to noise they cover the sonic waterfront.

From their previous record

David Kollar Sculpting in Time [Hevhetia]

For this outing, Kollar adds acoustic Ronroco and Guitalele instruments to his electronic guitar, synth, bass, and vocal, as welling as inviting contributions from Erik Truffaz and Arve Henriksen on trumpet, Pat Mastelotto (Poetry reading) and Christian Fennesz (guitar, synth, electronics). A beautiful, cinematic record that I somehow missed last year. Sorry David.

Drew Schlesinger & David Torn Summer Synthesis 1978 [Bandcamp]

In 1978 David Torn and Drew Schlesinger recorded an album of electronica in Schlesinger’s apartment studio with Torn on ARP Avatar guitar synth and Schlesinger on synths, keyboards and treatments. A historical document for sure, but also a great listen that, in these days of the Stranger Things theme, doesn’t sound as dated as you might think

Avishai Cohen Big Vicious [ECM]
Not the bassist, but trumpeter Avishai Cohen is joined by Uzi Ramirez on guitar; Yonatan Albalak on guitar and bass; as well as Aviv Cohen and Ziv Ravitz on drums, in a band he calls Big Vicious to infuse their jazz with textures from electronica, ambient, psychedelic rock, pop, trip-hop, and more. He joins John Hassell, Nils Petter Molvaer, and Arve Henreksen in the long list of trumpet players who seem to be, after guitarists, the instrumentalists most likely to bring fresh sounds to the genre.

Bobby Previte, Jamie Saft, Nels Cline Music From the Early 21st Century [Rare Noise Records]

Bobby Previte (drums), Jamie Saft (keyboards), and Cline make music that sounds less like the 21rst Century and more like space jams from the mid-20th. That is not a bad thing. Sure, Cline adds electronic noises in spots that are au currant, but this is really for those who are partial to his terrific guitar hero excursions in Wilco but don’t like to have to wait through those pesky songs to hear them.

Frances Marie Uitti & Elliott Sharp Peregrinations [Zoar Records]

The latest installation in the ongoing collaboration between two virtuosi: cellist Frances-Marie Uitti and composer/multi-instrumentalist Elliott Sharp, a duo whose work together dates to the 1990s. When he is not playing horn, Sharp’s acoustic guitar blends beautifully with the cello both sonically and in a simpatico approach to musical noises.

ROOTS MODERNE: Records present roots music with a modern twist.

Elliott Sharp’s Terraplane Kick It Six [Zoar Records]

Featuring Sharp again, this time alone on electric guitars, lap steel & console steel guitars, mandola, mandocello, basses and drum programming, Kick It Six is an example of why this brilliant musician  should get more credit for bringing the blues into the future, as he expands its tonal palette while recalling its African roots.

Giacomo Fiore and Larry Polansky from pike [self-released]

The two guitarists present a collection of electric guitar duets from the American experimental tradition, including folk song arrangements by Ruth Crawford Seeger, a meditation by Nat Evans, and a stand-alone movement from Larry Polansky’s 8 fermentations after a sketch by Charles Dodge for two electric guitars in just intonation.

Robben Ford/Bill Evans The Sun Room [earMUSIC]

Ford and saxophonist Evans are joined by Keith Carlock and James Genus on drums and bass for a rootsy jazz romp. Ford is on fire and not afraid to shake up the purists by playing through an Electro-Harmonix Pog pedal for some synth-like sounds.

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