June 12, 2023

Zoh Amba / Chris Corsano / Bill Orcutt - "What Emptiness You Gaze Upon!"


Bill Orcutt has once again teamed up with Chris Corsano for a new album and this time, they've added Zoh Amba to the mix to round-out their new trio.

What a time to be a fan of guitar wizard Bill Orcutt. After years of steady output as a solo artist or with creative others, his body of work has hit staggering new heights of as late whether it be via his album from last year, Music for Four Guitars and the subsequent tour behind it, or his two records from earlier this year: the acoustic-driven Jump On It and the wild, electronic compositions of The Anxiety of Symmetry, he seems to be showing no sign of slowing down. Point and case, today he announced two more records which will both be released next month. Teaming up once again with drummer Chris Corsano, the duo has announced Play at Duke which is a live recording of their set at last year's The Three Lobed 21St Anniversary Festival in addition to The Flower School on which the duo is joined by free jazz saxophonist Zoh Amba for some radical improvisations that will surely making for some enthralling moments. "What Emptiness Do You Gaze Upon!" is the first track on the trio's collaboration and the entire recording session that produced the album was the first time Ambra and Orcutt ever played together and the result is an astounding work of improvisational, experimental, free music that finds the three musicians entwining their skills for something truly marvelous. It's a loud, expressive piece that is jarring at first before revealing itself as a work of beautifully flowing music that adapts and adjusts to the room and never lets one artist take the lead, but rather showcases their remarkable ability to find trust and balance in their work.

Play at Duke is out July 14 and The Flower School is out July 21.

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