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Samo Salamon Trio: Almost Almond

By Jerry D'Souza
February 12, 2011
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Guitarist Samo ?alamon has exhibited a high level of creativity on his recordings. He continues to manifest that trait on this release, his 11th as leader. As before, the material entices, as it moves between laidback tunes that are bathed in a soft glow, or hard permutations that crackle and snap. Add little twists like the times he lets the melody slip in almost perceptibly into the framework, and Almost Almond becomes a lair of delightful aural textures.

The trio is an exceptional one. Bassist

Drew Gress

bass
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Drew Gress and drummer

Tom Rainey

drums
b.1957

" data-original-title="" title="">Tom Rainey stoke the fires of invention, urging ?alamon on as he unravels the yarn of inspired improvisation, or show an innate sense of empathy to kindle the flame of intimacy.

?alamon's crystalline playing is the hallmark of his style. This sonic clarity makes the tunes shine, whether there is a shimmy of chords or open runs. An ebullient mood dances into "Monkey Hands" but he soon moves into a more mercurial ambit on a dazzling run of hard snapping notes, in counterpoint with chunky chords. The tune is transformed and brought to a churning conclusion, with the added impetus of a bristling rhythm section.

"Monderous," dedicated to guitarist

Ben Monder

guitar
b.1962

" data-original-title="" title="">Ben Monder, is an astute blend of bop and free movement, ?alamon skittering in a flurry of bop intonations before changing tack to introduce spaced-out free modulations. The concept is not only an observation of Monder's expertise, it also characterizes ?alamon's own proficiency in forging sound and dynamics to his own vision.

Flatted notes and soft shadings are upped into a torrid tempo, before some buzz-saw pyrotechnics and feedback ignite "Dutilleux." ?alamon, however, does not forge a straight-hewn path; instead, he jumps and swerves, revisiting past haunts and then charginginto new territory.

Unexpected harmonics, shifting atmospherics and an insightful instinct make Almost Almond another triumph for ?alamon.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Monkey Hands; Lastovo; My Amusing Muse; Dutilleux; Pleiades; Too Emotional For This World; Drewish; The Small Buddhist; The Ladybird Is Yawning; Monderous; Almost Almond.

Personnel

Samo Salamon

guitar, electric

Samo Salamon: guitar; Drew Gress: bass; Tom Rainey: drums.

Album information

Title: Almost Almond | Year Released: 2011 | Record Label: Sanje

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