Scott Amendola Band - Believe (2005)

Scott Amendola Band
Believe
2005 - Cryptogramophone: CG123
http://www.cryptogramophone.com/catalog/believe
https://extranet.cryptogramophone.com/cg123.shtml



* Jenny Scheinman : violin
* Nels Cline : 6 string guitars, 12 string guitars, lap steel guitar
* Jeff Parker : guitar
* John Shifflett : bass
* Scott Amendola : drums, percussion, loops, live electronic, treatments, electric mbira, melodica

http://www.jennyscheinman.com/
http://www.nelscline.com/
http://www.jeffparkersounds.com/
http://www.johnshifflett.com/
http://www.scottamendola.com/

Recorded by Jeff Cressman at Möbius Music,
San Francisco, California (CA), on August 22-23, 2004.

Reviews

By William Tilland
http://www.allmusic.com/album/believe-mw0000213488

Drummer Scott Amendola maintains his high standards on his third recording as a
leader (and his second on the Cryptogramophone label). In short, this is
another great release, filled with passion, drama, humor, and the sundry joys
of superior collective improvisation. As always with Amendola, eclecticism is
assumed, but he enriches the mix this time by including Jeff Parker from
Tortoise, who provides a second electric guitar alongside Nels Cline, while
Jenny Scheinman's violin completes the string trio front line. In addition to
his drum/percussion duties, Amendola also triggers some interesting loops and
samples and plays electric mbira and melodica. Scheinman's violin attack is
more or less traditional (although her playing is marvelous, as usual), but
Parker and Cline coax some rather distinctive sounds from their instruments,
using a large bag of effects. Cline further displays his versatility by playing
both six- and 12-string acoustic and electric guitars as well as a lap
steel. In less sophisticated hands, the combination of two electric guitars and
a violin might have resulted in an undifferentiated mush, but the collective
sensitivity to timbre and texture displayed here allows the three instruments
to operate almost as a horn section, or to improvise against each other's lines
to excellent effect. High points are almost too numerous to mention on this
very generous recording, whose nine songs clock in at just under 70
minutes. "Oladipo," which is dedicated to the pioneering Afro-beat drummer Tony
Allen, has a strong, infectious African groove. "Shady" is a nifty piece of
Ornette Coleman-style harmolodics, begun with a free-form, arrhythmic dialogue
between Parker and Cline before giving way to the boppish theme. Scheinman
takes the only solo and it's a tribute both to the compositions and the level
of playing that this piece, and a number of others on the CD, could easily have
been extended without any loss of energy or interest. "If Only Once" is an
outstanding ballad featuring Scheinman's lovely romantic violin, while a
country-rock piece, "Buffalo Bird Woman," is in the style of Neil Young or
perhaps Wilco, with whom Nels Cline has recently been associated. "Cesar
Chavez" is a somber but powerful tribute to the departed leader of the United
Farm Workers. And of course, no Amendola (or Nels Cline) recording would be
complete without a bit of incendiary, gonzo guitar energy, which on this
release is nicely supplied by "Resistance," which starts with bursts of ominous
electronic noise from Cline and Amendola, after which the sober theme is turned
every which way by the squalling feedback of Cline and Parker's guitars before
fading into an uneasy oblivion. Both the musical scope and the uniformly high
level of artistry on this recording are truly impressive. Highly recommended.

--

By John Kelman
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/believe-cryptogramophone-review-by-john-kelman.php

By Michael McCaw
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/believe-scott-amendola-cryptogramophone-review-by-michael-mccaw.php

By Bill Milkowski
http://jazztimes.com/reviews/drum-beat/scott-amendola-band-believe/

By Jeff Melton
http://expose.org/index.php/articles/display/scott-amendola-band-believe-4.html

Por La Bestia Políglota (es)
http://www.presoventanilla.wordpress.com/2010/04/15/scott-amendola-band-2/

Por Marcelo Morales (es)
http://elintruso.com/2005/09/17/scott-amendola-band-believe/