Cento Threeo: Halfway to Mellowtown

For those old enough to remember and hip enough to latch on to it, the '90s were a time when thick chords and spacious tremolo guitar twang were back in fashion. Taking a nod from the late '50s sound of Link Wray and Western swing guitarists like Eldon Shamblin, the sound could be heard in TV and film with David Lynch's Twin Peaks and Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction, the pioneering work of guitarist Marc Ribot, aging surf guitarist Dick Dale (who still had a lot of fire left in his fingers), Morphine, rocker Chris Isaak and later with instro bands like Big Lazy (then known as Lazy Boy). The sound's noir vibe appeals to a wide spectrum of music lovers and has resurfaced in varying degrees through artists like guitarist Dave Miller of the Joe Policastro Trio, the redoubtable Bill Frisell, guitarist Mary Halvorson and a host of others.

This lineage of twang is not lost on August-based guitarist and composer Don Cento, whose career spans jazz, indie rock and Americana and is well-versed in noir, notably his wide-ranging work with artists such as Sarah Jaffe and Ume and on labels like Drag City and Bloodshot Records. He's also been admiringly noted in features on NPR Weekend Edition, SPIN and The New Yorker. Halfway to Mellowtown is the debut record for his trio Cento Threeo, which features Phil Spencer on bass and Norm Bergeron on drums.

From the very first notes of "The Judy Valve," you feel the abandoned drive-in vibe. A skeletal theme opens the track and slips into a mysterious tango, drifting into a supple bass solo by Spencer and departing with a chord that vanishes into the night.

The lightly skipping "It Takes What It Takes" and the hypnotic "G'Oranges" are highlighted with lilting, dreamy melodies that will linger in your mind for days, redolent of new beginnings and nostalgic memories. "No Fleas, Please" is a terrific up-tempo blues with tangy single-string lines by Cento and a fleet, funky solo by Spencer. A highlight is the angular and funky "Dennis Muren," an homage to the FX wizard at Industrial Light and Magic. Cento really catches fire on this one, leaning into rock territory with a cutting edge while Bergeron shifts the beat with muscular authority.

Most of the songs on Halfway to Mellowtown are built on a basic 12-bar blues structure, driven by memorable melodic statements and ornamented with free-flowing, economical solos. At times the record feels more like a blues jam than a jazz session (no song is longer than five minutes), but what the record lacks in exploration, it more than makes up for in groove.

Like a short hitch down a long, lonesome stretch of highway, Halfway to Mellowtown is a memorable trip that's certain to twang your heartstrings on many emotional levels.