Guitarist Jensson and his downtown NY pals: jagged grooves, unpredictable improvs, live electronic transformations.

Icelandic guitarist Hilmar Jensson formed a new trio with his downtown NY pals, Jim Black and Andrew D'Angelo, for this record of jagged grooves, unpredictable improvs, and live electronic transformations. A provocative atmosphere hovers over the proceedings: nothing goes on for very long, and there are frequent change-ups of tone and style. D'Angelo's acerbic alto sax and bass clarinet sounds combine with Jensson's stringent lines and Black's slashing attack, but equally there are moments of disquieting reverie, and it's all performed with composure and conviction. Although quite free in part, the music is highly organized; if Webern were alive today and into avant-jazz/rock this is the road he might be taking. This stylistically varied music has potential with both jazz and experimental/ambient/post-rock audiences.

Says Jensson, 'My intention was to see if we could blend together our composed melodic and rhythmic ideas and our improvisation with the electronic world that we all have a fascination for. Not an uncommon attempt, but I had in mind a unique blend that I had not heard elsewhere. The music is not heavily composed, mainly consisting of melodies and forms that we worked around; many of the compositions finally came together in the editing, when we put together melodies, improvs and electronics that were recorded separately....Tyft is not a word as far as I know. Tyfta is an Icelandic word however and means 'to put someone in his place' or even punish someone.'

Track Listing

• Short Or Hairy
• Searching For Glick
• Sinbad Glick
• Three Oily Tuesdays
• Uncle Fishhook
• Morthanna
• Yolanda
• Even if
• Tyft
• Death Of A Penguin
• Indelable Scars
• Tyft II

Additional Details

Label: Songlines

Genre: Jazz

Run Time: 47 mins

Release Date: 10/01/02

UPC: 774355154229