Gordon Grdina Quartet

Cooper’s Park

“The group’s output lands on either side of the chamberlike feel of his early trio [Think Like the Waves]: complex, slaloming pieces that provide a hothouse environment for charged improvisation on one hand, and atmospheric works that privilege color and mood on the other. Whether Grdina is playing guitar or oud, everything makes sense together.

 

– Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader

Juno award-winning guitarist/oud player Gordon Grdina “continues to passionately explore the depths of jazz improvisation, cross-cultural fusions and the fun that comes with cutting loose” (Stuart Derdeyn, Vancouver Sun). Following Inroads (2017), this second release by his wildly eclectic NY jazz-rock quartet again combines intricate, through-composed counterpoint with the ebb and flow of dynamic yet focused improvisation. As inspiration Grdina namechecks Bartok and Webern, Ornette Coleman, Paul Bley and Tim Berne, as well as Soundgarden for its energy and logical construction of ideas. His bandmates have decades of experience with avant jazz and beyond. Oscar Noriega is a member of Berne’s Snakeoil and co-leads Endangered Blood with Chris Speed, Jim Black and Trevor Dunn. Russ Lossing performed with Paul Motian for 12 years and has released numerous recordings of his own music, from solo piano to quartets. Satoshi Takeishi has performed with everyone from Rabih Abu-Khalil to the Bogota Symphony Orchestra, striving for “connection beyond genre and contrasting elements, in quest for the essence.”

Grdina’s distinctive approach to cross-genre playing and composing draws together elements that you wouldn’t expect to hear together. For example, piano and oud improvise a spacey, knotty duet on the 15-minute piece “Wayward.” Grdina’s unique, virtuosic style of oud playing, though based in a thorough understanding of Arabic classical and folk music, liberates the instrument to explore textures and melodic territory far removed from tradition. Likewise his guitar style draws on deep jazz roots, combining them with a full-on punk intensity and challenging structures at the outer reaches of tonality.

The roots of this group go back to Grdina’s debut recording, Think Like the Waves (Songlines, 2006) featuring his mentor Gary Peacock and Paul Motian: “There are very specific through lines that are present in this ensemble, with varied histories adding up and connecting and creating more places to reference or go to. I don’t really compartmentalize well, and everything developed for one aspect of my life seeps into the others, creating something more holistic and fluid. The most planned aspect of my development and direction is definitely in picking the musicians. Once that’s done everything else takes care of itself and the ideas start coming. I’m not interested in defining what everything will be beforehand, I’m much more interested in seeing what develops out of the original ideas when turned over to the band. I’m a firm believer in keeping things fluid and open.”

“Everyone has a deep affinity for Paul Motian as well as Gary Peacock, Paul Bley and that stream – not that this is exclusive to them of course, but there is the highest regard given to listening and openness. Even though this music is more directed compositionally, louder, and includes a wider stylistic range, the underlying highest priority is listening. That gives each person the freedom to contribute their individual expressions while maintaining the group sound. There’s an unbelievable amount of technical ability with these musicians that presents itself in the most beautiful way, giving life to very difficult music while maintaining a sense of joy and playfulness.”

As for Grdina’s guitar sound: “I’ve always been drawn to the acoustic sound of the instrument, and even during the heaviest, loudest pieces I’ve still got the guitar mic’d acoustically. Basically I’m trying to recreate what I hear being so close to the instrument and simultaneously hearing it through the amp. I’ve also brightened the sound. I got tired of dark, mellow, reverbed-out jazz guitar and on the flip side too much processing. I play heavy strings and hit hard. I love subtlety and delicate beauty and drawing out tone as well, but I would be a liar if I didn’t accept that I’m meant to play physically, it’s cathartic and a part of who I am and a lot of the music I love.”