Erik Thormod Halvorsen - Social Call - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Laura Veirs' songs are steeped in natural imagery, blending influences ranging from folk to blues to punk. A Seattle resident by way of Colorado, Veirs' background in geology and kinship with the rugged landscape she grew up in meld together with her punk performing roots to form an unusual musical outlook. Her collaborators on 2004's Carbon Glacier, The Tortured Souls, reflect this vision of a style that spans rock, jazz, and avant-garde producer/drummer Tucker Martine has collaborated with Bill Frisell, Jim White, and Modest Mouse; viola player Eyvind Kang performs with Beck and Frisell while leading his own ensemble; Lori Goldston, who toured with Nirvana, plays cello; Steve Moore adds trombone and keyboards; and Karl Blau contributes bass, guitar, and vocals (both Moore and Blau are veterans of the Northwest underground folk and rock community).

On InchLiminality,Inch Chicago guitarist Erik Skov creates a striking debut, exploring a far-reaching collection of original compositions with his six-piece ensemble, including saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi, trumpeter Emily Kuhn, trombonist Euan Edmonds, bassist Kitt Lyles, and drummer Gustavo Cortinas. Referring here to the threshold between stages of a transformative process, InchLiminalityInch celebrates that zone where creative discovery and possibility can thrive, through long-form compositions rife with unfolding melodies, elegiac set pieces, or straight-ahead romps.

Nils Petter Molvaer is recognized as one of the most innovative musicians in the world of jazz today, and for the first time his album ER will be available to the North American public. His use of electronics is a signature throughout most of his work and they are used brilliantly. His often dark and contemplative compositions are punctuated with the vibrancy of electronic effects putting the listener in a musical dream state. Floating on top of it all is his horn, as it sings along with the whirr and pulse of break-beats and infectious bass grooves. Album Tracks 1. Hover 2. Softer 3. Water 4. Only These Things Count 5. Sober 6. Darker 7. Feeder 8. Dancer