This album is great! It has it's roots in jazz but has influences from klezmer, blues, tango, cabaret, classical, etc. It is based off of a book about poetry from the poet Allen Grossman called "Summa Lyrica- A Primer of the Common Places in Speculative Poetics" , which is about poems that "...transcend the forms margins to embrace questions about the nature of consciousness and being" (All Music). Many of the lyrics come straight from the book.
The lineup in this nine piece band is an all star cast in which most of them have played many many times with each other before. In it includes Ben Goldberg who is the band leader, clarinetist and composer. Mr Goldberg who's roots are in Klezmer and Jazz is originally from Denver, Colorado. He is a member of the Tin Hat Trio and the New Klezmer Trio as well as playing with such artists as Nels Cline, Myra Melford, Charlie Hunter, Ron Miles, Scott Amendola, John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Roswell Rudd, Wayne Horvitz, Don Byron, Mark Feldman Elley Eskelin, Zenna Parkins, Mark Dresser, Vijay Iyer, Miya Masaoka, Jenny Scheinman, Steve Bernstein, and many others.
The violinist and singer is Carla Kihlstedt who is a major stand out on this album. She is also in the Tin Hat Trio and been member with The Grassy Knoll, with Phil Geib/ John Shiruba/ Matthew Sperry, Charming Hostess, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum ,2 Foot Yard, with Lesli Dalaba/ Fred Firth/ Eric Glick Reiman, Book of Knots, Shahzad Ismaily, with Fred Firth/ Steve Wishhart, Satoko Fujii, Causing a Tiger, Matthew Bossi, and Rabbit Rabbit. She has also played with such artists as Eugene Chabourne, John Zorn Roscoe Mitchell, Tom Waits, Dubtribe Sound System, Mr. Bungle, Carla Bozulich, Rova:Orkestrova, Madeline Peyroux, Deadweight and many others.
Ron Miles plays trumpet and has played with artist such as Bill Frisell, Fred Hess, Joe Henry, Wayne Horovitz, Rich Lamb, Jason Steele and others.
On tenor sax is Rob Sudduth. He has played with such artists as Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, Dred Scott, Stef Burns, Graham Connah, Scott Amendola, Paola Milzani, Bruce Foreman, Mark Levine, Alberto Marisco, Enzo Zirilli, Enzo Carpentieri, Carmen Tartamella, Claudo Angeleri, Bruno Marini, Gullio Visbelli, Stefano Senni, Steve Lucky, Johnny Nocturne ,Huey Lewis and others.
Myra Melford plays piano and has played with Allison Miller, Russ Johnson, Flute Force Four, lex Cline, Trio M, Pyeng Threadgill, Jenny Schienman, Andrew Drury, Mark Taylor, J.A. Deane, The Klesmatics, Scott Fields, Element 101, Frank London, Chris Jonas, Equal Interest, Joesph Jarman, Butch Morris, David Soldier, Joshua Pierce, Henry Threadgill, Crol Emanuel, George Cartwright, Leroy Jenkins, John Zorn, Bernadette Speach, Steven Lugerner, Bill Horvitz, Satoko Fujii, Marlon Brandis and others.
The other standout is Nels Cline. Nels Cline is one of my favorite guitarists. For many years he has been a hired member of Wilco. As well as Wilco and his own bands, he has either been in or played with Quarter Music, Thuston Moore, Devin Sarno, Carla Bozulich, Gregg Benidan, Zenna Parkins, Acoustic Guitar Trio, Vinnie Golia, Chris Corsano, Carlos Giffani,Andrea Parkins,Tom Rainey,Wally Shoup,Jeremy Drake, Zach Hill, Lee Ranaldo, Elliot Sharp, Greg Cambell, Alan Licht, Stephen Gauci, Ken Fillano, Mike Pride, G.E. Stinton, Norton Wisdom, Mike Watt, Yuka Honda, Dougie Bowne, Tim Berne, Jim Black, William Parker, Thollem McDunes, Henry Kaiser, Jim Thomas, Weasel Walter, Allen Witman, Juliet Lage, My Cat is an Alien, Medeski Martin & Wood, Scott Amendola, Banyan, Bonnie Barnett, Tim Berne, Bloc, Blue Man Group, Alex Cline, Brad Dutz, fIREHOSE, John Furmo, Jeff Gauthier, Gerladine Fibbers, Dennio Gonzalez, Joel Harrison, Julius Hemphill, Deborah Holland, Ricky Lee Jones, Osamu Kitajima, Wayne Krameer, Steuart Liebig, Mry Lou Lord, Lydia Lunch, Robert Miguel Miranda,Wayne Peet, Rhythm Plaque, Scot Ray, AJ Roach, Rova:Orkestrova, Walter Thompson, Jeremy Tobak, Mia Doi Todd, Noe Venable, etc
Greg Cohen plays bass and has played with such artists as Ornette Coleman, John Zorn, Ken Peplowski, Kenny Davern, Woody Allen, Tom Waits, David Byrne, Elvis Costello, Dagmar Krause, David Sanborn, Susana Barca, Gal Costa, Marissa Monte, Laurie Anderson, Willie Nelson, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, Dave Douglas, Tricky, Jesse Harris, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Joey Baron, Donovan, Crystal Gayle,Bob Dylan, Nina Nastasia, Alan Watts, Lee Konitz, Ritchie Havens, Dino Saluzzi, Lou Reed, Mariane Faithful, Odetta, Danny Barker, Tim Sparks, Antony and the Johnsons, Fiona Apple, Cyro Baptista, Steve Beresford, Anthony Coleman, Mark Feldman, Madeline Peyroux, Mar Ribot, Jamie Saft, Loudon Wainwright III, etc
The vibraphone is played by Kenny Wollerson. Mr Wollerson is a member of the New Klezmer Trio and the Sex Mob. He has also played with Tom Waits, Sean Lennon, Ron Sexsmith, Bill Frisell, Norah Jones, John Lurie, Myra Melford, Steven Bernstein, John Zorn, Steve Beresford, David Byrne, Crash Test Dummies, Ricky Lee Jones, Ruper Ordorka, John Patton, Madeline Peyroux, Ellen Reid, John Scofield, etc
Ches Smith, who plays drums on the album has also played with Good for Cows, Theory of Ruin, Mr. Bungle, Secret Chiefs 3, Xiu Xiu, Trevor Dunn, Carla Bozulich, Beat Circus, Sean Haynes, 7 Year Rabbit Cycle, Ara Anderson, Fred Firth, These Arches, Tim Berne, Moe! Staiano, Graham Connah, Mitch Marcus, Lou Harrison, Arron Nouk, Reddressers, Will Bernard, Fever Pitch, Todd Sickafosse, Darren Johnson, Devin Huff, Larry Ochs, etc
This album is to me the sounds of Tin Hat Trio, Nels Cline, John Zorn Vijay Iyer, Carla Bozulich, Carla Kihlstedt, Mr Bungle Bjork,etc all put together. Every track is 100 percent. Quite rare for an album. I love it- Rhett Taylor
"I don't just want to give people something that they can appreciate or understand, or that makes them think, or something like that. I used to kind of feel that that's what I wanted to do, but that's not what I want anymore. I want to give people something that they can love."- Ben Goldberg
