Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Cellar and Point: The Cellar and Point: Ambit

18

The Cellar and Point: The Cellar and Point: Ambit

By

View read count
The Cellar and Point: The Cellar and Point: Ambit
The unique atmosphere of The Cellar and Point's newest record Ambit (Cuneiform, 2014) is difficult to pin down in words, let alone to classify as a particular genre. Drummer Joe Branciforte and guitarist Chris Botta's brainchild, the result of years of absorbing influences as diverse as the Wu Tang Clan and Anton Webern, is an intriguing mix of contemporary straight-eighth, mixed-meter grooves and textural, atmospheric harmonies and accompaniment, with some electric guitar mixed in for good measure.

Branciforte and Botta describe their one of a kind compositions and arrangements as "garage chamber music," which is about as perfect a description as can be given to their sound. Reminiscent of both Kneebody and some indie rock outfits along the lines of Sufjan Stevens, whom the artists credit as an inspiration, they cover a lot of ground.

Branciforte, who has worked as an engineer for Ben Monder, Tim Berne, Vijay Iyer and Nels Cline, took on role of producer for the record while co-producing it with Botta. The impressive list of artists Branciforte has worked with reveals where the unique production values that are one of the album's most identifying and intriguing elements come from; with electronic beats and effects introducing and highlighting important moments in the compositions, it's obvious that Branciforte is well acquainted with the nuances of the recording studio.

All technical talk aside, the seven original compositions on the album are just as compelling as the arrangements and production. Combining elements of contemporary songwriters like the aforementioned Stevens with the challenging harmonies of modern jazz or the second Viennese school while exploring challenging mixed meter rhythms, these songs are not for the faint of heart. The often very dense textures combine with moments of tense dissonance to make for some pretty heavy music without relying on effects to achieve their goal. These moments of tension also make the contrast and resolution very effective when they open up and mellow out. "Purple Octagon" is a good example of this. Their arrangements are just as compelling. Making music such as Webern's "funf canons i, op. 16" work with a completely different instrumentation is a feat in itself, and the two accomplish it beautifully.

From one song to the next, and sometimes between the beginning and end of a single song, Ambit takes the listener on a journey through texture, timbre and time. It is a challenging and fascinating effort by two talented up-and-comers.

Track Listing

0852; Arc; Tabletop (a); Tabletop (b); Ruminant; Purple Octagon; Fünf Canons I, op. 16; étude xv; White Cylinder (a); White Cylinder (b); Ambit.

Personnel

Chris Botta: Guitar; Joe Branciforte: Drums; Terrance McManus: Guitar; Christopher Otto: Violin; Jack McFarland: Cello; Joe Bergen: vibraphone; Rufus Philpot: Bass.

Album information

Title: The Cellar and Point: Ambit | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Cuneiform Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Tramonto
John Taylor
Ki
Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii
Duality Pt: 02
Dom Franks' Strayhorn
The Sound of Raspberry
Tatsuya Yoshida / Martín Escalante

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.