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Gordon Grdina: Boiling Point
ByAs they did so forcibly on their widely realized, 2020 self-titled debut recording on Skirl Records, the trio forges headfirst into any and all of challenging moments Grdina dares to present. The title opener blows the doors off instantly and without apology as Grdina solos hard, knotty and gnarly, part hard rock god, part diffuse jazz impresario, while Mitchell and Black dogfight and pound, changing tempo and mood, just like they have behind alto saxophonist Tim Berne and his many and mighty unique iterations of jazz's freer regions.
"Parksville" follows that initial explosion with a few funky, amped bombing runs of its own. Grdina introduces the piece, but it quickly becomes a vehicle for Black to bend the tune to his own purposes and for Mitchell to fill in what few quiet spaces there may be. "Shibyu" wanders quietly for most of its ten minutes, the trio deciding to rally around Grdina's looping melody before Mitchell moves the tune into a anthemic motif to close it out. An ambient, free roaming conversation takes place on "Cali-lacs" as Grdina's oud makes its first languid appearance. Making sense of chaos is the over-arching theme of Boiling Point's last two tracks, "Koen Dori," where Grdina switches back and forth between his chosen instruments and Black and Mitchell take it in stride; and the rock powered gut punch closer, "All Caps," like so much of Grdina's work no matter the size of the band or the music that inspires it, Boiling Point never disappoints.
Track Listing
Boiling Point; Parksville; Shibuya; Cali-lacs; Koen Dori; All Caps.
Personnel
Additional Instrumentation
Gordon Grdina: Guitar.
Album information
Title: Boiling Point | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Astral Spirits
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Gordon Grdina
Album Review
Mike Jurkovic
Braithwaite & Katz Communications
Boiling Point
Astral Spirits
Matt Mitchell
Jim Black
Tim Berne