Caught the whole set from opener Cavaliere. Solo acoustic guitarist with an array of looping pedals. The music had an open air feeling, not unlike some early Metheny works, or even Michael Hedges or Alex De Grassi from the Windham Hill cabal. Technically proficient, the music bordered New Age. When viewing this type of music live, one realizes the level of difficulty attributed to such soothing sounds.
The sounds from the Saccata Quartet would be anything but soothing, but no less mesmerizing in the live setting. Led by jazz-rock chameleon Nels Cline on guitar, with Darin Gray on standup bass, drummers Chris Corsano and Glen Kotche. Cline serves as lead freak guitarist for the band Wilco but his entry into the music world has been more jazz and avant garde. Those skills are put to good use by Jeff Tweedy and company to inject experimental textures into their wonderful Americana-ish songs. I will never forget one (more?) Saturday night at the Vibes when Wilco graced the stage where Cline’s spasmodic jamming actually scared the hippie contingent. Kotche too plays for Wilco but must have a taste for the challenging sounds of improv. Chris Corsano is a polymath sideman equally adept in rock or free jazz, lending his talents to everyone from Bjork to Thurston Moore and Bill Orcutt. Not familiar with Gray before this evening, but I certainly will be rabbit-holing his exploits. The music is better viewed than listened via recording. Cline had a table of effects that he was constantly twiddling, at one point his guitar sounded like wolves in the distance. He had some device where he blew at the guitar strings and amplified the vibration. Gray also had some plastic tubing where he directed his breath at the strings. An array of pots and pans, drumsticks, were also used on the strings for different effects. Corsano and Kotche were masters of shading using an array of drum add ons to color the sound. This was not arena rock drumming, but percussion used in service to the improv. Park City Music Hall is a haven for hippie and jamband offerings, which is why I was surprised at the posting. Comfortable viewing with good acoustics and sight lines will keep me coming back for their fringier affairs.
