Guitarist and banjoist Brandon Seabrook has enlivened sessions with boldly imaginative artists like trumpeter Peter Evans, Brian Carpenter’s Ghost Train Orchestra, bassist Ben Allison, Mostly Other People Do the Killing, and percussionist Tomas Fujiwara, among many others. In the Seabrook Trio, with Cooper-Moore on the one-stringed diddley bow and the wizardly Gerald Cleaver on drums and electronics, he seems to have found his ideal setting. The trio’s music on In The Swarm, their second release, forms a bridge between the raw country sound of the diddley bow and the effects-enhanced modern electric guitar. It’s a wild ride of gonzo guitaristics, thunderous drumming, rubbery diddley bow bass, plenty of overdubs, waves of unexpected electronic treatments, and a general air of barely controlled chaos. This kind of musical madness is right up my alley. From the spooky organ-like sounds of the title track that opens the disc to Of the Swarm, the one-minute rave-up that ends the program, this is a trip like no other. Cleaver’s super-sensitive drum parts and Cooper-Moore’s imperturbable presence on the diddley bow provide a mighty cushion for Seabrook’s rapid-fire licks and the many different sounds he coaxes from his array of pedals and effects. Particularly fine are Vibrancy Yourself, a rather deranged piece of modern funk, the rhythm-heavy Crepuscule of Cleaver, featuring Seabrook’s brashly processed guitar, and Adrenaline Charters, with Seabrook’s expressive and original banjo style out front. Definitely worth checking out. Turn it up!
Astral Spirits (limited edition vinyl & digital album); Brandon Seabrook (g, bjo) Cooper-Moore (diddley bow) Gerald Cleaver (d, elec); Woodhaven, NY, July - September 2021; In the Swarm/ Subliminal Gaucheries/ Vibrancy Yourself/ Crepuscule of Cleaver/ Adrenaline Charters/ Seething Excitations/ Aghastitude/ Of the Swarm; 43:51. astralspirits.bandcamp.com
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