Perlowin, Shane - The Vacancy in Every Verse (artist-released CDR)
SKU
OLR001
Professionally recorded and manufactured CDR release by the great guitaring mind behind Ahleuchatistas. Shane is a very versatile player - something you might not know if you only know Ahleuchatistas, and this presents a very different (and really excellent) side of his work.
"In the tradition of such renegade guitarists as Marc Ribot, Bill Frisell, Derek Bailey, Nels Cline, and Robert Fripp, Shane Perlowin exhibits a fresh perspective on his instrument as he navigates through dramatic soundscapes, sprightly improvisations, and playful compositions, often steering the music into darker waters. The Vacancy in Every Verse is the debut solo album of the Asheville, N--orth Carolina-based guitarist, and it is the maiden voyage for his independent label Open Letter Records. Perlowin is most widely known for his work as the guitarist and bandleader of the rock/jazz power trio Ahleuchatistas. This critically acclaimed avant-garde group has released CD’s on such esteemed labels as John Zorn’s Tzadik Records and Cuneiform Records, and has toured internationally since 2004. On this first solo outing, the 32-year old conceptual guitarist showcases various musical strategies that he has developed for his instrument, some conventional, but often not. As a full time musician, Perlowin is involved in an eclectic mix of projects in which he composes, improvises and provides accompaniment. Over the course of his young career he has primarily concerned himself with exploring his idiosyncratic musical tendencies, which has led to the development of a unique sense of lyricism and a distinctive timbre. This has brought an original sound and edge to his various outlets. The slow and steady continual development of a high technical and theoretical facility has only served to enrich this overarching aim. Taste trumps technique in Perlowin’s world, as he observes an artistic ethic that states, “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.” Thus, we have music that is certainly avant-garde in its exhibition, however it is often tuneful, emotional, and engaging. The album contains three tracks of solo nylon-stringed acoustic guitar, three tracks of solo electric guitar with loops, and four tracks of guitar-bass-drums trio. All the music is presented in real time, with no overdubs or edits. This makes sense given the live nature of the music that Perlowin has cultivated, never giving the same performance of a composition twice, with much of the music relying heavily on improvisation. A multitude of genres reveal themselves on this recording, from jazz to electronica, country to noise, classical to klezmer, African music to minimalism to rock… However, none of these idioms is co-opted and presented in its pure form, the performances captured here are spontaneous and fresh. Perlowin has called this album, “a modest collection of songs, and a manifesto of musical strategies”. This recording, in effect, lays out a sonic palette, from which other music can and will continue to be created. The many colors here demonstrate a multi-faceted approach, a distinct vocabulary, and a sincere thoughtfulness about music as art."