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Bill Brovold and Jamie Saft – Serenity Knolls – RareNoise 

Bill Brovold and Jamie Saft – Serenity Knolls – RareNoise 

by | Sep 3, 2017 | Jazz CD Reviews

Bill Brovold and Jamie Saft – Serenity Knolls [TrackList follows] – RareNoise RNR076, 76:28 [3/31/17] ****: Guitarists Bill Brovold and Jamie Saft expand their horizons. (Bill Brovold – electric guitar; Jamie Saft – Dobro, lap steel guitar) This instrumental duo project by guitarist Bill Brovold and multi-instrumentalist Jamie Saft is an unexpected venture. Anyone familiar with Brovold or Saft’s previous musical output may suppose the 76-minute, 12-track Serenity Knolls to have powerful, aggressive material. Saft is known for his keyboard contributions to hard-hitting artists such as Plymouth, Bobby Previte, Merzbow and others who are notable for brash music. Brovold was part of the NYC no-wave movement of the early ‘80s, collaborating with Rhys Chatham; Brovold also led the Detroit band Larval; and has many more credits. Both Saft and Brovold reside in the Hudson Valley area in upstate New York, became friends, and eventually decided to record together. The end result is this RareNoise release, which is an unanticipated excursion into Americana. Brovold is heard on electric guitar while Saft is on Dobro and lap steel guitar, and the most immediate impression is understatement: a nearly introspective, minimalist and folk-flecked flair. There’s more rural and pastoral, more acoustic blues and […]

Joe Weed – The Vultures – TopMusic

Joe Weed – The Vultures – TopMusic

by | Nov 9, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Joe Weed – The Vultures – TopMusic TM-SACD9801.2 stereo-only SACD, 34:33 ****1/2: This is a terrific hi-res release of updated ’50s and ’60s rock/pop instrumentals.  (Joe Weed – guitars, mandolin, fiddle; Jim Boggio – accordion; Todd Phillips – bass; Rob Ickles – dobro-, Joe Craven – percussion; Norton Buffalo – harmonica; Steve Pefley – drums; David Grisman – mandolin; Rich Ertelt – guitar) Hold onto your hats, Joe Weed is going to reinvent surf, rock and pop instrumentals in quasi-bluegrass instrumentation. Even better, this session has been re-mastered to SACD in stereo. With an all-star band (Norton Buffalo/harmonica; David Grisman/mandolin; Rob Ickles/dobro; Todd Phillips/bass; Steve Pefley/drums; Jim Boggio/accordion), Weed breezes through these classics with verve and style. And what better way to get the proceedings started than a cover of the 1960 Ventures hit “Pipeline”. Without sacrificing the pulsating rhythm, Weed leads the group in an organic, breezy take. His guitar lead is precise and clear. Rob Ickle picks up the second verse on dobro. The addition of percussion (not just drums) by Joe Craven and accordion by Jim Boggio is flawless. At 3:15, it is still a small gem. “Apache” had been a hit for The Shadows, a British […]