Off Brand
Panoramic, 2020
9/10
A trio composed of Aidan Plank on bass, and guitarists Dan Bruce and Dan Lippel, the musicians first started collaborating 20 years ago, and as the appropriately titled Collage Project they flirt with classical, jazz and many other ideas on this dynamic and solo friendly adventure.
“For Manny” starts the listen with plenty of harmonies as complicated acoustic guitar and bass weave in and out of each other amid electric guitar stabs and a charming off-kilter presence, and “Free #2” follows with electric and acoustic guitar along with Plank’s bass on a soft, soothing excursion into skilled improvisation.
Further along, “Adaptation Dance”, a Bruce original, recruits Noa Even on saxophone where there’s no shortage of funky grooves, while “Free #8”, the last improvised piece on the album, has Even, Bruce and Lippel all seemingly playing independent pieces that manage to coalesce into one cohesive unit. “Hard Boiled Donut”, one of the record’s best selections, then showcases Chris Anderson’s trombone skills amid the frisky jazz climate.
The album exits on “Quartet For Bela”, where the 4 movements tip their hat to the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók, as Plank and Lippel cultivate reflective melodies that you won’t forget anytime soon.
Certainly an essential listen if you’re a fan of guitar music, Collage Project are also well versed in chamber and rock sensibilities on this fascinating effort that parallels the greatness achieved by Nels Cline.
Travels well with: Wendy Richman- Vox/Viola; David Liptak- Dove Songs