Search - Fred Frith :: Allies

Downtown superstardom

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 06/12/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First off, this is a band to die for: George Cartwright, founder and leader of that iconoclast outfit, Curlew, on alto sax; Tom Cora, downtown legend, on cello; Joey Baron, one of the most sophisticatedly swinging drummers around; and leader Frith, on bass, guitar, violin, keyboards, drum machine, and tape manipulations. Really, this disc would be worth acquiring just for aggregation of musicians playing together.



But a lot more than just downtown superstardom is going on here: There's an entirely apposite if way weird sensibility happening--the kind of dark aural soundscape Mike Patton occasionally purveys, e.g., on Delirium Cordia, but with a more recognizable song structure and compositional rigor.



Not for everyone, but anyone who digs edgy, downtown, industrial jazz will want to give a listen."

Several Genre's Strong

T. J. May | Kansas City, MO | 06/09/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is a true work of art. From the production to the well composed, yet loosely/tight sounding arrangements, the listener is quietly taken to another level of listening.



Let's get it straight, if Fred Frith has anything to do with it, it's bound to be respectfully fresh and well produced. "Allies" is just that. Once I start listening to this type of thing (same with Neil Ardley) I just can't get enough.



So, from a traditional prog rocker turning more and more into an avant jazz (RIO) fan, this is the stuff that challenges and continues the (thank the stars) exploration of sound/music.



BUY THIS!!!"