Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » WA: Cross The Center

54

WA: Cross The Center

By

Sign in to view read count
WA: Cross The Center
Led by prominent Seattle improvisers—drummer Gregg Keplinger and guitarist Simon Henneman—WA tenders a prime example of the regional avant-garde scene that is heavily influenced by rock and free-jazz. Spanning a few decades (give or take), Seattle's entrepreneurial spirit resides as the West Coast contingent of New York City's infamous Downtown Scene. Here, the bass-less quartet imparts a megalomaniacal viewpoint, pursuing the outside via distortion-laced guitar movements, background electronics and haunting thematic constructions. The musicians' breadth and clear-sighted focus transcends similar projects where wanton cacophony rules the roost.

The band's sound-shaping mechanisms are reinforced by Keplinger's polyrhythmic assault and asymmetrical treatments. The two guitarists (also including C.J. Stout) ring in the psychedelic age amid a few nods to Jimi Hendrix's wah-wah phrasings and chatty dialogues, toggling between human and alien encounters, with several movements within the program modeled with expansive formats, including ethereal passages built on gradual ascension.

The time-honored pop standard, "Nature Boy," will never sound the same after this version, spiked with ominous guitar treatments and a spooky recitation of the primary melody. WA spins this ballad into a stark framework that slowly rises out of the ashes, but adds to the intensity level in spots. The artists add a psycho-rock touch on "Carcassi," featuring the guitarists' drifting lines that may spark remembrances of classic '70s West Coast jam fare as they tear it up towards the finale. Indeed, a fun listen that is not derivative in scope, but points to various eras and concepts that are handled with a contemporary flair, complete with more than just a few mind-bending occurrences.

Track Listing

Funfish; Nature Boy; Liuzza’s; Adagio and Babel; Carcassi.

Personnel

WA
 

Gregg Keplinger: drums; Simon Henneman: guitar; C.J. Stout: guitar; Sean Lane: bicycle and electronics.

Album information

Title: Cross The Center | Year Released: 2012 | Record Label: Tables & Chairs

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter 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.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.