Search - Trevor Dunn's Trio Convulsant :: Sister Phantom Owl Fish

Potential 5 stars. Still growing on me.

stu | 11/22/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Free Jazz is alive and well and living in San Fran.



I have been a devout fan of Mr. Bungle for quite sometime. All of these guys are great composers, Dunn being no exception. He has written some of my favorite pieces of music, including "Dead Goon," "Carry Stress in the Jaw," "Platypus," and "The Holy filament(sp?)."



With his trio, Dunn indulges his affinity for avant/free jazz with glowing results. There is plenty of structure here. The songs mostly follow a standard jazz format: Head, solos, head, out. The written material is harmonically expanded, very sophisticated stuff (of course) and Dunn really shows off his knowledge and musicality. The solo sections are most often "free" is the best sense of the term, slowly expanding upon the rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic motifs stated in the head.



The guitar playing is extremely odd, always erradic and sometimes annoying. For my taste, there is a bit too much high-pitched, frantic slide noise - kind of a Sonny Sharrock thing. It's interesting at first, but he seems to over-use this trick. But, like I said, it is still growing on me.



If you liked Bungle's Disco Volante and you also appreciate good avant improvisational music, this disc is perfect for you."

Trevor Dunn good. (FALL ASLEEP TO THIS ALBUM)

dendraphiliwack | Camden, SC | 12/07/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album has been one of my greatest influences. Trevor Dunn is a genious. I had first listened to him during the Fantomas years. Director's Cut was the first Ipecac album i had bought. Back then i was unaware of Dunn, but now he is the crux of my creative inspiraton. This album describes the exact way i feel when i am tired or restless and i am struggling to be active in whatever i am doing. The best way to listen to this album is when you come home after a long day and are half asleep. Or just listen to it."

Movin' on with trevor

A. G. Miller | kentucky | 09/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It seems as if you can't please some people. While Trevor's compositions are as strong as ever on this new offering, there is a large contigencey of Mr. Bungle fans that just won't "get" this record, because it doesn't sound like Bungle. Fortunately, for the rest of us, it reflects more upon Trevor's personal influences, e.g. metal, jazz, and especially the 20th and 21st century "classical" music of which he is an avid student. While the bass parts are strong, they rarely dominate the songs; in fact, they are the result of Trevor's years as a sideman in all genres of music. So, if you are looking for a funk-metal bass virtuoso revival, this record will disappoint; however, if you like to hear unique approaches to compositional forms, melody/harmony, and rhythm, then you will find this record a grand step in our ever-expanding modern musical vocabulary. Oh yeah, and its also fun to listen to."