Dashed from Kenny Garrett at the Festival Tent to 1313 Hollis Street to catch what I could of Spontaneous Combustion: guitars. Wonderfully, as I slipped in admidst performance, another full-house. Fleshing out the wrapt audience, a lot of “guitar geeks” in the “house”, as Jeff Torbert later informed me. You couldn’t help noticing them. Young. Earnest. Serious-faced. Approaching the players after the performance in awe, knees as rock-solid as jello. And no wonder their wonder. Torbert and David Tronzo, Gordon Grdina and Christian Kogel explored and stretched a surprising range of the possibilities of electronic effects shape-shifters, sharp intellect and formidable instrumental prowess when applied to the art of guitar playing. Often the admirably cohesive ensemble playing sounded like a lyrical fugue on tape played backwards. This was no manic chaotic descent into one of the sulphurous rings of sonic Hell. Each musician instinctively knew just what element the music’s evolution at each and every moment required. And their abundant musical wiles rose cleverly and wittily at each and every juncture. For example, a sudden anguished squawk or a rapid note flurry would instantly find grounding either with a fleet-fingered scampering bassline or a growling chugging rock/blues rhythm pattern. Or conversely, a sensitively finger-picked diminishment into an almost spiritual, serene quietude. In all, this was music making of an exhilarating inventive plasticity. Endlessly entertaining. A fulsome opening to the Spontaneous Combustion series.
This article appears in Jul 9-15, 2009.