The chugging rhythm of the train is a staple of country music, the rolling four-count evoking the promises of opportunity and escape across vast open lands. Traditionally that rhythm is portrayed by an acoustic guitar or brushes on a snare drum, not tablas and much less mechanized ones. But Norwegian trio Huntsville isn't a traditional country band, or a traditional anything else for that matter. It does, however, cite country music, along with John Cage, Morton Feldman and drone music, among its influences, and Ivar Grydeland's banjo and steel guitar make the Americana hard to miss. Tonny Kluften's slow, steady upright bass is most often the foundation for the four long pieces on For the Middle Class, Huntsville's debut album, while Ingar Zach's fast percussionoften comprised of modified and motorized Indian instrumentspropels them.
Thrown together, these elements don't really add up to country music. But it is as close to that as anythingsomething like Bill Frisell's recent work, but pumped up and layered thick. The thick fog is not a surpriseall three have worked with the improv group No Spaghetti Edition, and Grydeland and Zach are founders of the Sofa labelbut when it clears, the countryside is unexpected.
Track Listing
The Appearance of a Wise Child; Serious Like a Pope; Add a Key of Humanity; Melon.
Iver Grydeland: acoustic and electric guitars, banjo, pedal steel guitar, radio, electronics, organ and voice; Tony Kluften: bass, rhythm machine and glockenspiel; Ingar Zach: percussion, tabla machine, sarangi box and shruti box.
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.
We sent a confirmation message to . Look for it, then click the link to activate your account. If you don’t see the email in your inbox, check your spam, bulk or promotions folder.