Erik Hinds
"Khonsay" CD
Solponticello
Genres: free jazz, improv
Solponticello
195 Three Oaks Drive
Athens GA 30607
Feb 9 - 15 2004 |
Guitarist Erik Hinds runs his own jazz, classical [and more]
label, Solponticello. For years he's been purveying releases of
excellent quality, including solo works of his own design and material
from his other band, SS Puft. With Khonsay, we see Erik
working with a number of his companions, who contribute guitar,
trumpet, percussion, and more. These eleven tracks are comprised of
three main compositions: a brief opener, "Coronach," and
then the several parts of the "Diorama Octet" and the
"Individuation Suite."
I will now state, simply, that I was very surprised by how much I
liked this album. Typically, though this is a genre I do quite enjoy,
I find myself quite picky about things. But it took me little more
than the opening melodies of "Coronach" to confirm my
pleasure listening to Khonsay. When the "Diorama
Octet" begun, it was clear I had found something that would stay
in my stereo for the long haul. Over the duration of four tracks, Hinds
and his octet rummage through an interesting selection of melodies and
cultural influences. "Settlement" and "Brainstorm"
are Basho-Junghans-esque instrumental folk pieces [the former
boasts some trumpet accompaniment], while "Affirmation" is
an almost eerie instrumental drums/guitar track and "Onward"
seems to put a bit more emphasis on Jeff Crouch's trumpet
playing and Blake Helton's percussion. The "Individuation
Suite" has a more complete sound due to a bit more emphasis on
the bass - "Acceptance," the suite's final part, starts with
a full, jazzy sound and then goes into complex experimental,
instrumental folk [think Eugene Chadbourne] before skimming
through free jazz territory and finishing with a pretty, melodic
finale.
Khonsay is a very rewarding album, and though its tracks are
primarily instrumentals, they are still extraordinarily accessible.
Give this album a try; it's worth more than a few.
87%
Matt Shimmer
[Vitals: 11 tracks, distributed by the
label, released 2002] |