Composer/pianist Cory Smythe releases his trio recording, "Circulate Susanna" on Pyroclastic Records
Cory Smythe, compositions, piano, autoharp, electronics
Sofia Jernberg, voice
Dan Lippel, detuned acoustic guitar, electronics
"Susanna soil flutter" certainly aligns with Smythe's Lomax analogy but those interplanetary chirps reside in an overall setting that is dark and ominous. "Circulate to mole" centers on Jernberg's incredible vocal instrument, here a kind of staccato keening; on "Ladies load the telegraph," spoken word, and electronically altered on "Weave the ring" and the title track. Often the line is blurred between acoustic manipulation and stand-alone electronics as on "(Bullgine / lectric fluid magnified)" and "(Double star thru magnified)." Throughout the collection, Smythe's piano and Lippel's de-tuned guitar seem to reference every skill in their considerable repertoire, in particular, on "Ladies horserun" and "Reverse soil flutter," where the music descends into a ferocious maelstrom."
- All About Jazz