Wednesday 13 August 2008

Compay

I know I said I'd post something more cheerful, but I lied. At least today's track isn't actively depressing. It's a track called Compay, by San Francisco avant-garde jazz group Tin Hat Trio, now known just as Tin Hat.

This was the first track I ever heard by the group, and it's still one of my favourites. It's from their fourth album,
Book of Silk, released on Ropeadope records in 2004. Each of their CDs has a mood all of its own; it's not often you can say a band truly breaks away from genre definitions, and I certainly wouldn't want to bandy such descriptions around freely, but it's justified in this case. Elements are recognisable - maybe a nod to jazz violinists like Stéphane Grappelli, a bow to country styling (Willie Nelson actually featured, singing a track on 2002 album The Rodeo Eroded) or a hark to Philip Glass' repetitive, hypnotic and beautiful rhythms, but these are only really oblique facets. They're a mysterious band, full of dark corners and cobwebs.

Interesting fact - the track is in 7/8 time signature, which is pretty unusual. Well, I thought it was interesting.


Compay

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