Reviews: FRED FRITH TRIO, CLOSER TO THE GROUND INTAKT CD 312

Rigobert Dittmann, BA 99, Aug 2018

Frank von Niederhäusern, Kulturtipp, Schweiz, 1. September 2018

Aldo Del Noce, Distorsioni, Sept 15 2018

Yves "Joseph Boulier" T., JazzAroundMag, Sept 11 2018

Karl Lippegaus, WDR Preview Jazz, Sept 13 2018

Downtown Music Gallery Newsletter for Friday, September 21st
Two Treasures from the Intakt Label:

FRED FRITH TRIO With JASON HOOPES / JORDAN GLENN - Closer to the Ground (Intakt 312; Switzerland) Featuring Fred Frith on electric guitar & organ, Jason Hoopes on electric & acoustic bass and Jordan Glenn on drums & percussion. This is the second disc from the Fred Frith Trio and it was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, CA, which is where this group is based. Ever since organizing the 'Gravity Project' a few years back with members of the Bay Area creative music scene, experimental guitarist & composer Fred Frith has continued to work with the same rhythm team, Jason Hoopes and Jordan Glenn. Mr. Hoopes and Mr. Glenn are also members of the great but under-recognized Bay Area progressive band, Jack O' the Clock (6 discs) and as well as with Kyle Bruckmann. The Fred Frith Trio has played in NY, as well as toured in Europe, their sound has evolved quite a bit since their last recording in the summer of 2016. Starting off with a splash of percussion, the trio create a dreamy sound with floating drones, spacious echoed guitar fragment over a subtle, somber groove… sort of space rock at its best. Each member of the trio gets a chance to lead or direct certain pieces. Hence these pieces evolve and flow in a most organic way, sailing out out of free space and into (what sounds like) more charted territories. What continues to surprise me is when everything comes together and the trio takes off, all of us gliding or rocking together, a joyous release from the the everyday world. Out of nowhere we are transported to another place. At one point we land in a tribal, throbbing dance like groove ("A Path Made by Walking"), it felt like a breath of fresh cool air, after a day of of simmering humidity. When I had this disc on the stereo yesterday (9/18/18), there was a family in the store looking through some vinyl. The son seemed to dig this CD and asked what it was, so I said the Fred Frith Trio. What kind of music is this, he asked. Good question I said, perhaps 'avant rock'? Hmmmmm. The music seemed to create its own magical, transcendent world and was recognized as something special. Indeed it was and still is.
- Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG

Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery Newsletter, Sept 2018

Pascal Rozat, Jazz Magazine France, Oct 2018

Karl Gedlicka, Concerto #5, Oct 2018

Udo Andris, Jazz Podium, Oct 2018

Kevin Coultas, inonthecorner.com, Oct 20 2018

Peter Margasak, Downbeat, Dec 2018

Olaf Maikopf, Jazzthing, Nov 2018

Olaf Maikopf, Jazzthetik, Nov 2018

Peter Margasak, Downbeat, Dec 2018

Andy Robson, Jazzwise, Nov 2018

Rudolf Amstutz, Jazz'n'More Magazine, Nov 2018

Todd B. Gruel, A Closeer Listen, November 7, 2018

Thomas Olsson, Orkester Journal #5, Nov-Dec 2018

Auf seinem zweiten Album, nach Another Day In Fucking Paradise (2016) legt das Trio um Fred Frith ein Album nach, welches sich schnell mit außergewöhnlich bzw. ausgefuchst beschreiben lässt. Frith überstrahlt diese Aufnahmen mit der unglaublichen Schönheit seiner Klangformen und -flächen. Den Sound, auch seiner Präparationen an der Gitarre, erkennt man sofort, sein Saitenspiel und dessen Klang ist und bleibt einzigartig, hat seinen unglaublichen Wiedererkennungswert. Die Drums von Jordan Glenn akzentuieren und grooven angenehm abwechslungsreich dahin. Schon durch seine Zusammenarbeit mit Zachary James Watkins deutlich aufgefallen, arbeitet er mit den wunderbaren Rova:Orkestrova. Jason Hoopes spielt dort ebenso mit, hält auf Closer To The Ground sowohl mit seinem E- als auch seinem Kontrabass alles zusammen. Das Album hat eine deutlichere Rocknote als Frith vorherige Alben und lässt durchaus die die guten alten Massacre-Zeiten aufleben. Das Trio nimmt sich aber auch Raum für feine Improvisationen und Klangforschung, welche vor allem die zweite Hälfte des Albums noch weiter aufwerten!

Richard Herbst, Freistil Nr. 82, 2018, Österreich