Jazz Articles

Walter Shed 5tet: Blue Plate Tectonics

by Robert Spencer
January 1, 1998

Pittsburgh's Water Shed 5tet is your standard sax-guitar-cello-bass-drums unit. Their music is a mélange adultère de tout, not only because of the original lineup, but because the players are given to sudden and unexpected moves like electric guitarist Daryl Fleming's quote of “Dixie" in the approach to a Yes-flavored crescendo in “Braque." Blue Plate Tectonics, their second release, is a stormy ride into uncharted territory. Always exciting, always compellingly executed, this music slashes, shreds, croons, weeps-abrupt as a summer squall ...