Eugene Chadbourne - Insect
& Western (Insect Attractor)
1997 - Leo Records
Subtitled
"Compositions for Ensemble," this latest recording from folk-banjo free-improvisor
Chadbourne includes a mixture of the strangest instruments: mandolin (played
by Gino Robair), Stradivarius saw (Paul Lovens), an oboe, a bassoon, a
balalaika, a violin, a tuba, "bargain electronics," and a Casio Rap Man. On
top of this, Chadbourne has cut-and-pasted various sessions together.
Sounding a bit like Zorn's game pieces, the five compositions, part of a
larger recording project, are, however, clearly marked off into segments.
But what of the insects of the title? The instruments do chirp from time to
time, and the music may sound "macroscopic": The individual performers stand
out clearly, perhaps revealing a many legged world of termites, praying
mantises, and crickets. One hears this through Chadbourne's economic dosing
of the many sounds - rarely do more than five musicians play at a time. The
music, neither pretty nor polished, portrays a place where controlled chaos
becomes a fascinating art, where all the discrete sounds - atmospheric
vibraphone and squeaky oboe - make up a sonic universe. It's full of
inspired and quirky playing, especially from Carrie Shull on oboe and
Chadborne himself, who is downright charming when plucking bluegrass or a
section of Monk's "Epistrophy" on his "The Cricket in My Life." Leo, release
the rest of this project!
--- JAZZIZ Magazine Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.