CD Details
Synopsis
Amazon.comGreat musicians are able to blend a range of styles in order to produce a single result. Yet it's even more impressive when these influences have been so completely assimilated by the players that they cannot be deconstructed. Such is the case with this virtuoso acoustic trio, which has produced an album that doesn't blur so much as annihilate the lines between Celtic, bluegrass, and jazz; the blend is innate. Guitarist David Grier, mandolinist Matt Flinner, and bassist Todd Phillips each contribute three original tunes to the proceedings, although each song becomes a spontaneous and even dialogue. Flinner's robust "Paint It Shut" sounds like both an age-old Erse reel and a bold "newgrass" composition. On Phillips's introspective "Said and Done," Grier engages in Wes Montgomery-style octaves before resolving his ideas with deep bends. Grier's bright and gentle "Car on Fire" becomes a gritty workout. "Dozing in the Sun Through the Window," another Phillips tune, has a breezy, tropical, Latin-jazz feel. Though the album occasionally loses momentum, it's challenging material that makes for equally challenging listening--challenging but mostly rewarding. --Marc Greilsamer
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CD Reviews
Slow waters Pharoah S. Wail | Inner Space | 01/09/2001 (3 out of 5 stars) "Think Backwaters-era Tony Rice Unit, but with less excitement. In a nutshell that's how I would describe this cd to someone who has never heard it. It is by no means a bad cd but it sort of drags on. As a set of slower songs to be incorporated into the usually uptempo in-concert "newgrass" repertoire these songs are great. I just think it was a bit of a mistake to have all these songs together on one cd. Every time I listen to this cd, by the time I get to the end I always feel like "Okay Okay, that's enough ballad-tempo songs in a row!". Imagine being at a bluegrass or newgrass concert where the performer played 7 ballads in a row. It gets to be a little slow and dull. The opening track, being more uptempo and cooking, is definitely not a preview of things to come because after that track the cd is slow-going for the next 5 songs or so. Then, thankfully, Grier's Car On Fire interjects a little life into things. Overall I would say that Flinner's compositions are the most successful. He really is one to watch, a unique compositional voice. Phillip's has his usual great acoustic bass tone, but with one languid tune after another even his presence isn't quite enough to elevate this cd to the status of the excellent cd's he has been a part of in the past.So there you have it. These songs would be great as slower additions to a concert repertoire made up mostly of cooking fret-burners, but one after the other like this is a little too much for this listener." A Great Leap Forward 06/03/2000 (5 out of 5 stars) "This album has authentic Bluegrass roots, but the branches reach into the next century. The music is measured, intelligent and laid back. The less hectic and inventive flow of this music reminds me of Edgar Meyer and the Teluride Sessions musicians."
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