Warblepeck

"Malaby has fashioned a group that captures his own hybrid vision, blending composition and improvisation in frameworks that cross cultures and genres without pretense....On the beautifully meditative “Waiting Inside,” Hollenbeck’s melodies and Lonberg-Holm’s cello conjure visions of India as Malaby emotes with soft sinewy lines. “Warblepeck” finds Lonberg-Holm sounding as if he’s playing berimbau. Hollenbeck’s ghostly melodica echos Malaby’s sparse melodic musings on “Anemone” before a gorgeous passage of unison brings the piece to another phase."

"...a recording of avant-garde jazz that fuses delicate whimsy with gutbucket daring."

"Technical skill on the instrument is often an impediment to creativity, but sometimes, as on this album, it can be unbelievably refreshing and inventive. Tony Malaby's sax playing is among the best of the moment, and Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and John Hollenbeck on percussion are two musicians with lots of musical baggage, ranging from traditional to experimental music. On Warblepeck they bring something unique : melodic power, rhythmic complexities and musical surprises that would already be great on one track, yet they keep the high quality and creativity on each of the eleven tracks....The great thing is that despite their stellar technical skills, these musicians don't take themselves too seriously, they have fun playing this music....Despite the craftiness and the subtle musical explorations, the emotional component is very strong, because of Malaby's very sensitive sound, but also because of Lonberg-Holm's rich pallette and Hollenbeck's drive and sense of melody. This music is something else, and it demonstrates that avant-garde can be very accessible, rhythmic, emotional and great fun. Don't miss it."

"...the unorthodox yet versatile combination of Lonberg-Holm's electronic EFX and Hollenbeck's arsenal of exotic percussion reveals a session rich in kaleidoscopic textures and tones....[Malaby's] gruff tenor veers from pointillist accents ("Anemonie") to vociferous grunts ("Warblepeck") while his sinuous soprano pivots between lyrical glissandos ("Scribble Boy") and fervent chromaticism ("Remolino")....From effervescent xylophone cadences and scintillating glockenspiel accents to pulverizing trap set salvos, [Hollenbeck] unveils an endlessly fascinating array of sound. His tuneful abilities materialize on a haunting cover of Bill Frisell's "Waiting Inside," as his bittersweet melodica strains intermesh with sonorous cello and understated tenor....[Lonberg-Holm] conjures surging feedback, oscillating loops and distorted power chords from his amplified instrument. His overdriven double stops on "Two Shadows" and "Sky Church" summon metallic sheets of sound, goading Malaby's ferocious tenor and Hollenbeck's pneumatic drum kit into a frenzy. Conversely, his insectoid blips and bleeps on "Jackhat 1" and "Jackhat 2" intertwine with Hollenbeck's shimmering accents and the leader's multiphonic fragments, weaving a spectral panorama....Embracing the process, rather than the finished product, Malaby's Cello Trio integrates their improvisational working method into their core aesthetic, finding beauty in the mystery of spontaneous creation....Warblepeck is a fascinating electro-acoustic effort and Malaby's most personal and adventurous recording to date."