Strings in Bloomington, MN

These 14 selections that feature
Eugene Chadbourne
on solo guitar, banjo, Dobro, and "noise" reflect not only that
Chadbourne
is one of the nuttiest and funniest serious improvisers on the planet, but they also showcase his unnerving talent to dig into someone else's composition, drag the most hidden nuances out of it, and showcase them in an entirely new and very emotionally revealing way.
begins with his own
"The Shreeve,"
a guitar piece that collapses three different melodic ideas into three different tonal improvisations in just under four minutes. Next is a deep,
Ralph Stanley-esque
bluegrass
read of
John Coltrane
. No, you didn't read it wrong. I am not going to spoil it and tell you which of
Coltrane
's tunes he fires his way through, but suffice to say there's also a bit of
Dick Dale
in there with
Stanley
, too. There are also several homages here, one to
Grace Slick
, complete with guitar-kissing sounds; one to
Sonic Youth
titled in the manner of an
Anthony Braxton
composition; and one each for
Roland Kirk
,
Derek Bailey
, and author
Paul Bowles
. There are more formal covers here too, including
Mingus
'
"Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"
(which simply has to be heard to be believed) and
Sonny Rollins
"Tenor Madness,"
as well as one each by
Ellington
and
Strayhorn
. What does it all add up to? Everything, that's what.
has a way of making American music from all vernaculars sing along with itself without looking in the mirror to see if it looks good enough to go out. To thread all of this through with stunning improvisation that reflects many of the same ideas at hyper-speed with the dexterity of a kung-fu master in a cotton field makes
a true outsider, the master of musical art brut. ~ Thom Jurek