Open Thread

Finding the common in Commonwealth, two duos from two distant outposts of the former British Empire combine for a restrained exploration of mutual sonics. From the Canadian aide are Vancouver’s cellist Peggy Lee and percussionist Dylan van der Schyff. Representing Australia are Melbourne’s guitarist Theo Carbo and tenor saxophonist Julien Wilson. While the veteran Aussie saxist and tyro guitarist have mostly worked with local musicians, van der Schyff and Lee have extensive international experience having played with everyone from John Butcher to Dave Douglas. Although half of the eponymously titled disc’s 10 compositions are by Lee, there’s no attempts to pull rank, with every members contributing to the session’s outcome.

However there may have been some need for more group familiarity. While there’s no faulting musicianship, the majority of the brief tunes appear more low-key than those created for many of the Canadian duo’s other discs. Except for the atmospheric introductory track and the free-form penultimate ones, everyone seems to be holding back. With its mixture of cello string buzzing, drum clangs and shuffles and digeridoo like reed blows, “Invocation”  augurs for a more tenacious interface that doesn’t clearly manifest itself until nearly the end. Before that folksy guitar licks, warm cello obbligatos,  near bossa nova sax lines and drum shuffles don’t leave much space for more progressive inserts which include the guitarist’ string flanges, thinner arco cello refrains and arching saxophone timbres.

Application picks up with the trio of tunes that end the disc. “Lore” is the most colorful with a walking cello pulse; hard ruffs and cymbals clatters from the drummer; lap-steel-like licks from the guitarist; and a final ending equivalency that joins tones from Lee and Wilson. “Feelers”, a group composition, maintains the elevated standard with squeezed string buzzes, the drummer extracting abrasive textures from metal bowls, and the saxophonist slurping and slurring his notes. The joint crescendo leads to Lee’s “What Jig?” With strained reed spetrofluctuation, Rock-like guitar frails, rattles and ruffs from the drummer and metallic cello string slides the piece becomes a rousing near march.

One would hope that the last title doesn’t suggest the jig is up for the cooperative Open Thread quartet. If the four players involved  can build on its more adventurous actions partially expressed here, that jig could turn to a more profound dance with an Open Thread encore.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Invocation 2. Easy Pour 3. Theo’s Song 4. Wander 5. Wish For You 6. 4PM 7. Usurper 8. Lore 9. Feelers 10. What Jig

Personnel: Julien Wilson (tenor saxophone); Theo Carbo (guitar); Peggy Lee (cello) and Dylan van der Schyff (drums, bells and bowls)