muzycy:
Billy Bang, violin
James Emery, guitar
John Lindberg, bass

All About Jazz
Second LP of the Trio’s leaves the original notes intact, which seem a little odd at this juncture. Most of the space is spent to explain that you really can play jazz without horns, and many examples are given – yes, this can be jazz, really it can! The fact that this has been reissued should be indication that fans have accepted it. Today, Billy Bang and John Lindberg are stars; this engaging, challenging album will help explain that.
Lindberg starts “Twixt C and D” with a descending line, joined by James Emery’s guitar. Bang bows the theme on two strings – his tone is mostly classical, but he also gets earthy. Emery has a lengthy sol, and Bang is hummingbird-fast, but this doesn’t take off until Lindberg’s turn. He strums faster than Emery, going through ascending patterns with heightened speed, and then he goes strong, pounding the strings, playing with fire until the end, when the theme returns. It’s a pivotal moment, the Trio telling us “we’re here”. Throughout the disc, that point is made over and over.

“Strawberries” opens with Lindberg’s bow, groaning low as Bang goes high. There’s a spot of parallel bowing, then Bang takes a long descent, slurring his lines near the end. He swoops, then makes a high glissando. He becomes a clock with rhythmic plucking; Emery joins him, in time starting a counter line by plucks near the tuning pegs. Bang then stops; Emery’s solo is full of dashing fingers and frantic strums, a tension heightened when Bang returns, joining Emery in a high tremolo. Lindberg then cuts in with a great sawing noise (it later sounds like radio static!) The more you listen, the more you find the scraping has a tune to it, but its main effect is as a noisemaker. When Lindberg says his piece, the calm returns, and musically, you have gone far indeed.

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