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Curlew — CBGB NYC, NY 1987 / Taktlos Fextival - Zurich Switzerland
(Cuneiform no#, 1987/2022, DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-01-31

CBGB NYC, NY 1987 / Taktlos Fextival - Zurich Switzerland Cover art

The name CBGB will probably be forever associated with the birth of New York punk rock. The club was a prominent venue during the development of Ramones, Talking Heads, Television, Blondie, Patti Smith, and many more. But the 1987 recordings released here are testimony that there was more to the place than punk. Curlew was the avant-garde band formed by saxophonist George Cartwright in 1979. The group featured a number of other musicians over its span of existence, and these shows from 1986 and ‘87 were performed by a lineup that never appeared on a studio recording. Pippin Barnet (drums), Tom Cora (cello), and Davey Williams (guitar) were joined by Wayne Horvitz on keyboards, including handling the bass parts on synth. This is the same lineup that featured on the Live in Berlin release from 1988, which was recorded on the same tour (and the version of “Barking” on that album was in fact recorded at CBGB and is included here in its original context). Even if you’re familiar with Live in Berlin, the highly improvisational nature of Curlew’s music ensures that this album will have something new for you. This is a very original sound that blends rock and jazz in a distinctive way. Catchy rhythms coalesce into a kind of warped funk while sax and cello provide both melodies and noisy chaos. And in spite of the craziness, it doesn’t come off as harsh or grating, at least to my ears. I have to admit I’m not super familiar with all of the band’s studio work, but CBGB 1987 / Taktlos Festival 1986 seems like a great glimpse into a phase in the career of a very innovative musical enterprise. The recording quality is quite good, and this should be a winner for all fans of avant-rock.

Filed under: New releases, 2022 releases, 1987 recordings

Related artist(s): Wayne Horvitz, Curlew, George Cartwright

More info
http://cuneiformrecords.bandcamp.com/album/cbgb-1987-taktlos-festival-1986

 

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