Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Sinister Luck Ensemble: Anniversary

137

Sinister Luck Ensemble: Anniversary

By

Sign in to view read count
Sinister Luck Ensemble: Anniversary
The Chicago music scene has produced much to ponder of late, with its avant- offering of Fred Anderson, Vandermark 5, and the electro-soundscapes of Isotope 217 and Tortoise. With the release of Anniversary a larger vision of Chicago's role as gateway to the West is revealed.

Anniversary is the brainchild of guitarist Charles Kim, who is also known for his work with Pinetop Seven, Boxhead Ensemble and Fruit Bats. His earthy compositions and sparse arrangements suggest a link between the Midwest and the West of Bill Frisell's recent music. Kim's vision of an American frontier is at times moody, dark, and sorrowful like the oppressive grayness of a Chicago winter. From his Chicago vision comes the persistence of the human spirit. Kim builds this sentiment around the core of instruments comprising guitar, accordion, cello, bass and percussion. To this he adds guests Rob Mazurek (Isotope 217, Chicago Underground Duo), Andrew Bird, and Ken Vandermark. Mazurek keeps to a muted trumpet and Vandermark plays a very understated clarinet and bass clarinet. All calculated to draw out the frontier experience of this recording.

Included here is a short film by Jeff Economy that is scored by the track "Cakewalk." This mostly black-and-white video is a clue into the cinematic nature of this music. Kim draws upon the themes of early cinema with its fluttering images and barely seen places and voyeuristic glimpses of lives. Robert Cruz's accordion plays a major role as accompaniment with and counter to the lead guitar of Cruz. Anniversary dances a very slow dance of very flat lands just beyond the rhythm of the Second City. Highly Recommended.

Personnel

Album information

Title: Anniversary | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Perishable

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.