Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Tin Hat Trio: Helium

Tin Hat Trio: Helium

By Jim Santella
June 1, 2000
View read count

The talented San Francisco bay area Tin Hat Trio folds a considerable segment of American ethnic music into their acoustic, chamber jazz setting. European history has provided the jazz world with a specific reference for harmony and instrumentation as well as a comprehensive library of folk and classical music. The trio’s original compositions draw upon these concepts to produce swingin’ scenes that tend to conjure up images of ancestral costumes and regional dances. Their "Width of the World," for example, includes elements from traditional blues, flamenco, tango, bluegrass and Gypsy culture. With strong ties to Europe, "A Life in East Poultney" blends the timbres of banjo, harmonica, violin and Marxophone together in a lively waltz. Never heard of a Marxophone? As with most items of interest, the ‘net has a webpage out there in cyberspace, ready to inform and share a listen.

Helium represents one aspect of American ethnic music using instrumental timbres not specifically associated with jazz. Quite successfully, the Tin Hat Trio blends dissimilar genres into jazz’s modern mainstream, giving the listener a program rich in history and steeped in merriment.

Track Listing

A Life In East Poultney; Helium; Beverly's March, Scrap; Sand Dog Blues; Fountain Of Youth; Slip; Width Of The World; Seamstress Extraordinaire; Esperanto; Big Blue House; Old Grey Mare; Brennero; Anna Kournikova; Helium Reprise

Personnel

Tin Hat Trio

Rob Burger (accordion, piano, pump organ, marxophone, harmonica) Carla Kihlstedt (violin, viola); Mark Orton (guitar, dobra, banjo) and on Helium Reprise; Tom Waits (vocals)

Album information

Title: Helium | Year Released: 2000 | Record Label: Angel Records Canada

About Tin Hat Trio

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Charles Gayle
< Previous

Art Pepper
Next >

Become a Sustaining Member

Since 1995, All About Jazz has championed jazz as an art form and supported the musicians who create it. Over three decades, it has grown into one of the world's leading jazz resources, serving hundreds of thousands of readers, musicians, presenters and industry professionals each month.

Help Build the Future of All About Jazz

Your support helps us continue building All About Jazz for the next generation—expanding our editorial coverage, preserving jazz history, developing new community features and creating better ways to discover the music and the people behind it.

Become a sustaining member for as little as $20 per year and you'll immediately enjoy an ad-free experience along with access to subscriber features and future articles for a full year.

Together, we're not simply sustaining All About Jazz—we're building its future. Thank you for being part of the journey.