Sean Moran: Sun Tiger

You might think that changing from the bass in a guitar, bass and drums lineup to a cello wouldn’t alter the band’s dynamic that much, but Sun Tiger, the new album and band led by guitarist Sean Moran will make you rethink that proposition. It turns out that the extraordinary versatility of the cello, especially when played by the veteran Hank Roberts, forces everyone to adjust to a new balance in this trio, rounded out by the drummer Vinnie Sperrazza. The band shakes things up from the start with the boldly exploratory Suns, the first of seven Moran originals. Ably setting the stage for the whole disc, the piece covers plenty of ground in just over 7 minutes, with heavy grooves spotlighting Moran’s brash electric guitar, sections of light swing with Roberts’ cello out front, and a delicately polite passage with subdued guitar and some richly melodic cello that fades to silence. Roberts’ plucked cello leads us into the snaky One For Lacy, a tune that spotlights Roberts and Moran trading licks while a low-key Sperrazza keeps things buoyant. The vigorous three-way conversation of Arc makes the 9 minutes mostly seem to fly by, with just a bit of a lull during a quiet passage around the 7 minute mark. Next up is the peaceful and serene Cheyenne, with sweet arco cello lines shadowed by Moran’s electric guitar. That’s followed by the nervous-sounding Big Shoes, a mutated R’n’B exercise with insistent drumming and Roberts improvising with verve over Moran’s continuously repeated fuzz guitar lick in the opening minutes. A wild guitar solo becomes the focus around the halfway point of this especially spirited track. The vaguely Ellington-ish Eye Eye is sweet and relaxing, a showcase for Roberts’ cello in a deeply tender mood. The session wraps up with a gritty taste of Moran’s slide guitar on the rocking Percival. Sun Tiger is a total winner from start to finish, and is warmly recommended.
Skirl 040; Sean Moran (g) Hank Roberts (clo) Vinnie Sperrazza (d); Brooklyn, NY, January 25, 2017; Suns/ One For Lacy/ Arc/ Cheyenne/ Big Shoes/ Eye Eye/ Percival; 46:13. skirlrecords.com

JP Schlegelmilch, Jonathan Goldberger and Jim Black:

JP Schlegelmilch, Jonathan Goldberger and Jim Black team up to update the organ trio format with Visitors. Black’s big beat, Goldberger’s savage guitaristics, and Schlegelmilch’s enveloping organ sounds combine in a seductive mélange of upbeat and bluesy grooves. Keyboardist Schlegelmilch and guitarist Goldberger co-composed all the songs, a series of straight-ahead melodies that give the musicians plenty of space for elaboration and exploration. The title track and Chiseler open the disc with a bang. Ether Sun is more relaxed, a little too slow in fact, and without much substance to justify the more than 5 minute running time. The trio bounces back with the tasty groove of Corvus, full of ominous guitar lines and spooky organ. The first part of Lake Oblivion rocks hard at first, then settles down to a swampy maze of beats and boings and washes of sound before rising out of the mist with an anthemic melody and then dissolving. Part two leads off with the strumming of an acoustic guitar, then sails off into the psychedelic stratosphere. Terminal Waves has a slow blues feel at the start, then oozes into the slowly moving world of Schlegelmilch’s keyboards and reverb before some penetrating guitar by Goldberger kicks in. That leads the trio into a Pink Floyd-like chord sequence with plenty of guitar heroics and an amped-up Jim Black. The very pretty, and rather brief, ballad Island ends the set, but leaves the music unresolved, and the listener wanting more. Guess I’ll have to wait for their next effort, and since Schlegelmilch, Goldberger and Black seem thoroughly compatible with one another, it’s a good bet that there will be more from this trio. Definitely worth a listen.
Skirl 39; JP Schlegelmilch (org, kybs) Jonathan Goldberger (g) Jim Black (d); Brooklyn, NY, no dates specified; Visitors/ Chiseler/ Ether Sun/ Corvus/ Lake Oblivion I/ Lake Oblivion II/ Terminal Waves/ Island. 35:21. www.skirlrecords.com