Imaginational Anthem, Vol. 3

by Imaginational Anthem 3 / Variou

Overview

The Imaginational Anthem series on Tompkins Square continues with this third volume, and as has become its wont, it is more adventurous than even its predecessors, yet stays closer to the vest, making it, upon first listen, more accessible but also more mysterious. Guitarist and kalimba wizard Richard Crandall's "Zocalo" opens the set. Played on an acoustic six-string steel guitar, it offers a kind of gentle but sprawling reflection on British Isles folk styles, American Primitivism a la the raga-like melodic repetitions offered in John Fahey's work, but Crandell's interested in the nooks and crannies of minor keys and manages to explore them while keeping the listener inside his circular approach to harmony and modality. It's an arresting beginning that signals a move toward the inside and sets up Ben Reynolds' "Here Toucheth Blues." Whereas Crandell's tune is rooted in old, almost pagan traditions, Reynolds comes at it almost from the church hymnal. After a pastoral into, he moves toward something communal, spring-like and kissed by the breath of God. The masterful and seamless assimilation of various blues guitar styles in Nathan Salsburg's "Bold Ruler's Joys" is simply a startling piece of guitar history rolled into a couple of minutes without a trace of academic detachment. "When the Snow Melts and Floats Downstream" is the American debut of Irish guitarist Cian Nugent, who at 19 is the youngest player here by nearly a decade. There isn't anything particularly youthful about his approach, though. One can hear the ancient Gaelic lineage in his playing, but there is a very current feeling of song in it as well. It's a real stunner. The strangest cut here is by five-string banjoist George Stavis. "Goblins" is from the single album he recorded for Vanguard in 1969 called Labyrinths: Occult Compositions for Five String Banjo and Percussion. It's full of so many knotty twists and turns through the language and history of the instrument that it takes two or three listens to get a real handle on it -- but each of those spins is a delight. No matter what part of this set you choose to play, you'll be rewarded handsomely. That said, there is a method to Josh Rosenthal's sequencing. If you can find the time to listen through at a single sitting, you'll find your way into a truly magical world of sound, reverie, and emotion. Another winner from one of the great indie labels. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	04/08/2008
Label:	Tompkins Square
UPC:	0856075001905
Rank:	258933

Tracks

1. Zocalo  - Richard Crandell
2. Here Toucheth Blues  - Ben Reynolds  - Ben Reynolds
3. Sleep Architecture  - Greg Davis  - Greg Davis
4. Bold Ruler's Joys  - Nathan Salsburg
5. Blue Mountain Raga II  - Steffen Basho-Junghans
6. When the Snow Melts and Floats Downstream  - Cian Nugent
7. Sean Cycle  - Matt Baldwin
8. Another Fine Day  - Mark Fosson
9. Goblins  - George Stavis
10. High Tower Bells for Loren Connors  - R. Keenan Lawler
11. Texarkana 1971  - Shawn David Mcmillen

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Greg Davis   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
Shawn David McMillen   Primary Artist
R. Keenan Lawler   Primary Artist
Mark Fosson   Primary Artist
Richard Crandell   Primary Artist
George Stavis   Primary Artist
Steffen Basho-Junghans   Primary Artist
Matt Baldwin   Primary Artist
Cian Nugent   Primary Artist
Ben Reynolds   Primary Artist,Primary Artist
Nathan Salsburg   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Joel T. Jordan   Art Direction
Susan Salsburg   Photography
Josh Rosenthal   Compilation Producer,Liner Notes
Harris Newman   Mastering