Review in Blow Up Magazine
"Un bel ritorno in pista quello del chitarrista John
Dieterich, che fu dei Colossamite e del Gorge Trio e
da una decina d'anni sta nei Deerhoof. In quest album
che esce per la portoghese Dromos accompagna il
virtuoso pianista Thollem McDonas, attivo da anni nei
circuiti ambiti jazz e sperimentali della Bay Area di San
Francisco, per una serie di duetti dalla tensione forte
e vivida per quanto sempre trattenuta, costretta, mai
lasciata veramente libera di esplodere. I pezzi sono
generalmente brevi e bozzettistici e centrati
soprattutto sui movimenti dissimulatori ed
estremamente diversificati di Thollem, che passa
da chiari di luna debussyani a sparseness satiana, da
gustosi cenni alla Monk a momenti più stralunati e
sperimentali (Some Dancing People), fino a far
apparire il suo strumento come fosse preparato
(That's Scary! To People). Da parte sua Dieterich
pennella e disegna senza mai strafare se non
occasionalmente (gliottimi crescendo di I'll Keep
Thinking e I Just Thought Give People), riservando
accordi più aspri e acidi a pochi ma molto incisivi
pezzi come That's Scary! To People e Making A
Report. La musica scorre con apparenza
d'improvvisazione pur non avendone le
caratteristiche più proprie ed evidenti (si tratta di
composizioni, anche se in formato haiku) ed è
veramente un ottimo esercizio non di stile. (7/8)"
By Stefano I. Bianchi
Review on KFJC
"How fitting that these two musicians should come
together for their first collaboration at the San
Francisco Museum of Modern Art! McDonas on
piano and voice, and Dieterich (from Deerhoof) on
guitar here present lovely, spare, sometimes jarring,
sometimes gentle compositions that are thoroughly
modernistic works of art in their own right. You'll feel
like a connoisseur as you listen to these artists and
enjoy the cover work of visual artist Martha Colburn."
By Humana
John Dieterich is based in Oakland, California. His
long-term projects include the bands Deerhoof
and Gorge Trio. Former bands include Colossamite
and Natural Dreamers. In addition to these groups,
John sometimes plays in largely improvised settings
with a variety of musicians.
Thollem's perpetual travels as a performer have
covered much of the North American continent
and Europe. In the past 6 years he has added
20 albums to his discography on 9 different
vanguard labels in 4 different countries. His
music is diverse, approaching each album and
concert uniquely, often resulting in dramatically
new and different outcomes. In duo he has
performed with the likes of Stefano Scodanibbio,
LaDonna Smith, Alex Cline, Gino Robair, Rent
Romus, Jack Wright and Ava Mendoza to
name but a few.
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