The Out Louds, Tomas Fujiwara, Ben Goldberg, Mary Halvorson

The internet is all about classification. Or I should say being read on the internet is that. Here today for example is an album, a first by the trio known as (and a CD self-titled as) The Out Louds (Relative Pitch RPR 1042). It is a well considered triumvirate of Mary Halvorson on electric guitar, Tomas Fujiwara on drums and Ben Goldberg on clarinet. I post it here on the Guitar Blog because Mary's playing will be of great interest to guitar-minded folks. But if I had a clarinet blog, it could easily go there, or on a drum blog, too. That is because all three give us much to appreciate.

It is a matter of 11 freely improvised numbers of weight. Each captures a special moment of inspiration, where Mary comes up with some foundational single-line and/or chorded memorability, Ben replies with a wealth of jagged and/or flowing lines that express a good deal that is wonderful, and Tomas drums in and out of time with a special flourish which is his alone. So it is a matter of some great guitar, great clarinet, great drumming, great trio enacting. If I put it here it at least covers one-third of what makes this one a real keeper.

Mary has gone her own way for quite some time as her own "brand" of free guitar, which is to say that the WHAT is original and foundational. You could say the same for Ben's clarinet and Tomas' drums.

The ins and outs of it all is that this one gives us some fine and original free improvisations, free jazz with its own way of presenting melodic-harmonic-rhythmic complexes that keep interest level high, that make a kind of modern statement of uniqueness. And it's all good. Very good!