Chet Doxas teams up with Ethan Iverson and Thomas Morgan for Mark Twain tribute Twelve foot blues

It is seven years since the release of Riverside, the wonderful Chet Doxas-Dave Douglas record that got the essence of Jimmy Giuffre to the very marrow. Retro fiend Doxas is formidable too on new Mark Twain tribute 'Twelve foot blues' that has an …

Published: 11 Aug 2021. Updated: 2 years.

It is seven years since the release of Riverside, the wonderful Chet Doxas-Dave Douglas record that got the essence of Jimmy Giuffre to the very marrow. Retro fiend Doxas is formidable too on new Mark Twain tribute 'Twelve foot blues' that has an airy, dancing, quality to its feel in this all-star setting that finds the saxist with pianist Ethan Iverson and double bassist Thomas Morgan drawn from Whirlwind release You Can't Take It With You. Might the widely adored Iverson who knocked us out most recently with 'Tempus Fugit' have considered instead a banjo bearing in mind the amusing outlandishness of Twain writing in the San Francisco Dramatic Chronicle in 1865 who advised ''When you want genuine music […] just smash your piano, and invoke the glory-beaming banjo!'' A studio recording, the only plucking going on is courtesy of tone poet Morgan, this was produced by Doxas and recorded in a New York studio approaching two years ago. What we know so far, in terms of lure and urge to hear more, have a listen, is ridiculously hard to resist.

Chet Doxas photo: Whirlwind on Bandcamp

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In the bass domain where Mats Eilertsen illuminates

Full of a certain melancholia rising up from despair, double bassist Mats Eilertsen has Hymn For Hope out in the autumn. Less Edvard Munk more landing in the mantle of a transcendental vision November time's Hymn for Hope features the poetic tenor …

Published: 11 Aug 2021. Updated: 2 years.

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Full of a certain melancholia rising up from despair, double bassist Mats Eilertsen has Hymn For Hope out in the autumn.

Less Edvard Munk more landing in the mantle of a transcendental vision November time's Hymn for Hope features the poetic tenor saxophonic oration (as opposed to scream) of Tore Brunborg with in the harmonic underpinning guitarist Thomas Dahl and drummer Hans Hulbækmo in the den of the Norwegian bass don.

Sadly only the cover art is available to share so far from this release which is all Eilertsen tunes. If a track becomes available I'll do a further post. But it is worth commenting as a hint that the writing throughout is very convincing.

Pick of early listens is the mighty 'Sunday' led off by a lovely percussive line and a big statement from Eilertsen behind which a legato line whirs mysteriously along with the ritual patter of percussion that adds a sense of Indo mysticism. When Brunborg comes in it is frankly, let's level, jaw-dropping. SG

Hymn of Hope cover above