a r t i s t : Nels Cline / Andrea Parkins / Tom Rainey
t i t l e : Downpour
d a t e : 2007
l a b e l : Victo
g e n r e : Jazz
r l s. d a t e : Sep/2007
t r a c k s : 03
b i t r a t e : VBRkbps
s i z e : 88,3 MB
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Nels Cline: guitar;
Andrea Parkins: accordion, piano;
Tom Rainey: drums.
recorded live at the 2006 Festival International de Musique
Actuelle de Victoriaville
Seven minutes into ôDownpour 1ö, the two-part improvisation
that encompasses the bulk of Downpour, ClineÆs guitar emerges
from a mechanized haze of dissonance. Over Tom RaineyÆs
insistent, disjointed drum groove, his guitar dryly spits out
a few notes before falling back into the fray. The set,
recorded live at the 2006 Festival International de Musique
Actuelle de Victoriaville, obliterates expectations. Electric
sounds blend to the point where individual instruments become
indiscernible; there are no predictable climaxes or arc to
follow, the 30+ minute improvisation gains devastating
momentum before breaking up in a trebly hiss, only to restart
again.s
The amazing aspect of Downpour is that the individual parts
are never lost to the greater sum. Through ClineÆs warbling
tremolo, Andrea ParkinsÆ doleful accordion strains or the
marshalling beat of RaineyÆs snare, humanity asserts itself
amid screeching metal, phased sirens and pulsing bass. Rainey
is the driving force on the date, consistently pushing Cline
and Parkins to emotive highs while directing traffic at the
intersection of jazz, metal, punk and free improv. Matthew
Miller, All About Jazz
_______________
Almost four years after recording their volume of the Out
Trios series (Ash and Tabula: Out Trios, Vol. 3), Nels Cline,
Andrea Parkins, and Tom Rainey reconvened at the annual
Victoriaville festival for another set in 2006. As expected
with these players (and the festival), this live set is not
merely a rehashing of the album; it's another improvised
journey whose long form allows for more ebb and flow than the
previous album. Things start slowly, building up from some
looped drones, but the track starts to gain momentum about
four minutes in, with Cline adopting a nice ray-gun tone for a
while and Parkins offering a bit of accordion. Later, Cline
switches to bass (or is that some effect?) while Parkins moves
to piano before the track winds down and devolves into a slow
jackhammer effect. Rainey is amazingly supportive, knowing
when to push and when to lay back, and you can hear how each
player moves the music into new directions while the trio acts
as a cooperative unit. The second track begins with Cline
beginning in a jazzier mode before it kicks into high gear
about five minutes in, with Rainey in a surprisingly rock mood
and Cline switching to a great snarling guitar tone. The set
ends with on a more playful note with the relatively brief
"Moss, Bed." Much like the festival itself, the Victo label
has a reputation for exciting free improvisation, and Downpour
doesn't disappoint. ~ Sean Westergaard, All Music Guide
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01-Downpour 1 [37:22]
02-Downpour 2 [18:16]
03-Moss, Bed [04:05]
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59:43 min