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Jacket Barter by James Wengrow

From the album

Album Title: Emissary
Endectomorph
Released: 2026
Duration: 00:55:49

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About the Album

'Jacket Barter' is the opening track from 'Emissary', the ambitious debut album by the James Wengrow Crypsis Trio, a Brooklyn-based avant-jazz group synthesizing jazz, free improvisation, contemporary classical, and math-rock into an utterly visceral guitar-trio experience. Australian guitarist Wengrow, Danish bassist Mathias Højgaard Jensen, and New York drummer James Paul Nadien embark on impassioned journeys through rapidly shifting sonic terrains—frenetic free passages colliding with polyrhythmic grooves and math-rock precision. This is modern jazz that capitalizes on the structural ties between genres “while exploiting their differences in smart, unique ways.” (Bandcamp Daily)

'Jacket Barter' showcases the many musical environments featured throughout the album. Starting with frenetically shifting sounds—effect-ridden rapid tremolo picking of chordal clusters on guitar, scraped arco-bass bows, and rapidly shifting drum swells—the piece merges into an eerie, gradually building group improvisation before locking into a hook of fast quintuplets in 7/4. It then moves into an explosive guitar solo and collective improvisation, followed by reintroduction of the riffs and a riveting drum solo from Nadien.

Recorded by Joseph Branciforte and mastered by Brent Lambert, the album features six original compositions forged during a tumultuous period of intercontinental displacement, alongside interpretations of John McLaughlin's 'This Is For Us To Share' and Thelonious Monk's 'Let's Call This.'

'Emissary' arrives May 29, 2026, on Endectomorph Music.

Tracks

Jacket Barter; Aflame Inside In Public; This Is For Us To Share; Cropsey Cabin; Arborealpolitik; Let's Call This; Deadline Junky; Emissary.

Personnel

Reviews

Emissary by Max Kutner

Date featured

August 20, 2026

This song appears by permission of the contributing artist and/or record company. It is for personal use only; no other rights are granted or implied.