Private
jerseyturnpike : permafrost (US,2004)****
San Fransisco based band jerseyturnpike has the core of a duo, with Carlo Dean, who is the main composer and who plays amplified guitar, adds a few high pitched sound touches on wine glasses or on snare, and with Dina Carpentino, who sings the songs with double-trackedharmony vocals. They invited guest musicians like Jessica Schaeffer on double-strung harp, who participates throughout the complete album, with improvisations mostly directly on the guitar pickings, but also some partial lead, like on "Pendulum" & "Sunder", and Greg Burns here and there on electric bass and pedal steel (on the last "song" with some backwards effects).
This terrific, well hung together début features 6 songs mixed with 6 improvisations which are followed each time after the songs. The album gives a feeling of being recorded in one, well prepared, take. Recommended.
PS. Dina Carpentino also produces experimental electro-acoustic music under the pseudonym of Supergrip. Carlo Dean performed before with some jazz musicians like Clark Terry and Al Grey. As composer he wrote for chamber groups to orchestra, filmscores for Nirvan Mullick and for Jim McHahon, and he also has some choreography credits. Review of Supergrip further down.
