Fred Frith, Darren Johnston, Everybody/s Somebody/s Nobody

We greet this day with a nicely put-together duet album of Fred Frith's guitar and Darren Johnston's trumpet on Everybody/s Somebody/s Nobody (Clean Feed 357). Johnston will be familiar to many for his trumpet and compositional stance, especially on the West Coast but also in Chicago. My blogs have encountered him frequently enough and nicely so. Fred Frith many will know as one of the premiere avant electric guitarists today, who can be counted upon to come through with excellent work whether on the avant rock or the jazz-improv sides of things.

The duet album integrates horizontal, subtle periodicity grooves with "modal" leanings and a bit of rock strength with more outside excursions, showing the fine structural sense of the two as spontaneous improvisers and compositionally oriented notemasters.

Eleven pieces have their say in a wide universe of substyles. They show the versatility and command of the two players and in the process give us all a fine listening experience.

These two are gold. And they really connect. Find out how by giving the album a close listen! Outstanding!

Allan Holdsworth, Hard Hat Area, Reissue

Allan Holdsworth over the course of his dozen or so studio albums has established himself as a guitarist with a style so distinctive, so musical and a sound so inimitable that he is in a category of one: guitarists who sound exactly like (because they are) Allan Holdsworth.

His eighth album, Hard Hat Area (MoonJune 044) in a welcome reissue, gives a great example of how that is so. In Barry Cleveland's excellent liner notes, he emphasizes that this recording was the product of a working band, and so has a kind of cohesiveness and interactive ESP some of the others do not always have.

It's Allan on guitar and synthaxe along with Steve Hunt at the keys, Skuli Sverrisson on electric bass, and Gary Husband on drums. They tackle seven substantial Holdsworth compositions that have an almost orchestral dimension thanks to the fullness of the arrangements, the synthesized harmonies and the richness of the players' approach.

All the elements are in place and when Allan gives out with his inimitable solo work, it is an integral part of the musical matrix in the same way a concerto for violin and orchestra might be. It's much more than an exercise of Allan's formidable technique and beautiful harmonic sense and tone, though it certainly is that. It's music. Very good music indeed.

One of his very best. Great to have it available again.