from Smalltown Superjazz
TWO BANDS AND A LEGEND
Two Bands and a Legend is:
The Thing with Joe McPhee and Cato Salsa Experience.The meeting between The Thing and Cato Salsa Experience started at the Kongsberg Jazzfestival in Norway in 2004, when The Thing was offered the chance to invite their favorite rock band Cato Salsa Experience, for a special collaboration. The show was a success and this also led to the critically acclaimed EP “Sounds Like A Sandwich” on Smalltown Superjazzz. It was immediately decided that the two bands and the legend should go into studio to record a fullenght album. The result is the self titled album “Two Bands And A Legend”. On the album the bands do their own versions of tracks like “Who The Fuck” by PJ Harvey, “Baby Talk” by James Blood Ulmer among others. The CD is the perfect pairing of the dirty 60s influenced free-jazz that of The Thing and the raw and minimalistic garage rock of Cato Salsa Experience. Most tracks on this album was recorded in one take only with no overdubs. Liner notes by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth says it all:
Is this superjazz?
Does The Thing want to rock the fuck out?
Is Paal Nilssen a love machine?
Do Cato & Bård rip the shit outta guitar?
When McPhee & Gustafsson intro guitar to “Louie, Louie” do you know it’s the best throwdown yet of that klassick since Black Flag?
Does PJ Harvey rule and do these guys love her?
Do we blast through hate?
Mongezi Feza, man – total beautiful African sweet charge, can you drink this to the boss rock zone playlist?
Does Alva Melin’s groove jam “The Nut” destroy yr mind b4 ignition to free life 4-ever?
And will you thank the rock n roll gods for that love groove coda?
Can you shout out James Blood Ulmer!?
Can you shout out James Blood Ulmer rules supreme and heavy and these cats blow a masterful “Baby Talk”?
Are you cramped?
Can you find yr mind?
Can you shake yr ass?
Is it Nation Time!?This CD answers all those questions and the answer resounds: YYYYYYYYYESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!
I shit you not.
thurston moore – western massachusetts – 2005