"Trio Of Bloom" is a new, first time collaboration from Craig Taborn, Nels Cline and Marcus Gilmore. Taborn has worked under the leadership of such jazz greats as Dave Douglas, Steve Coleman and Evan Parker. Cline has been Wilco's guitarist for about 20 years now. And Marcus Gilmore, drummer extraordinaire, has a resume too long for these pages. But I guarantee, he's on at least two records in your library, whether or not you listen to jazz.
This is not an easy record to digest. At 70 minutes long, it's twice as long as it should be. But I say that only because, half works for me and half does not. The half that doesn't might actually work for you more than my half.
Tracks like "Nightwhistlers," "Queen King," and "Forge" give me something to hold on to. Some of it is thrilling and much of it is beautiful. But there are improvised songs that wander aimlessly for too long, which I usually don't mind as long as I can recognize some semblence of structure, a tune, however briefly it may appear. A few songs (?) worked on my nerves.
But the songs here excited me enough to pass on. I think "Nightwhistlers" is a killer.
If anything here piques your curiousity, try this as a playlist.
Nightwhistlers
Unreal Light
Queen King
Why Canada
Forge
Bend It
6 comments:
I enjoyed both Unreal Light and Queen King a couple of days ago via Bandcamp. Haven’t gotten around to the whole thing, but my expectation is there will be some tracks that sound like 3 people who have never met making a racket. Years ago I saw Nels Cline and two others open for the Bill Frisell Trio. It was 20 minutes of punishment, making me wish for the comparative calm of Einstürzende Neubauten, but I still try out Nels’ non-Wilco work in hopes that I find songs like the two I mentioned.
- Paul in DK
"making me wish for the comparative calm of Einstürzende Neubauten"
Hahaa!
The opening track is the best thing on it, I think.
It's always a surprise when talented musicians produce something that's not as good as the individuals' other work. Cline has produced some other challenging work.
And may I just say, and for the record, that I had forgotten how great that Mavis Staples Fogerty cover is? Thanks for posting!!! 😎
Wilco is a side job for Nels Cline, one that pays for everything! I first encountered his work in the mid 80s on a Julius Hemphill album, been following ever since. Some of it IS punishing, boo hoo...
That edit/elision does work, an improvement! Thank you for that.
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