At Last, a Tribute to Long Songs
Have you noticed that the longest track is usually the best part of a record? Doesn’t matter what type of music, odds are good that the longest piece on an album defines it. I once heard Arlo Guthrie speak of advice from his father, Woody: “Son, if you can’t write good songs, at least write long songs.” It helped. Arlo is best known for “Alice’s Restaurant,” a seasonal hit that clocked in at 18:34. But good and long are not at odds. Long songs make us slow down and engage on a deeper level. Even as attention spans get shorter, long songs manage to survive and thrive.
We’re pleased to announce what may be the first album ever that celebrates duration. It’s Xtempore 3 (long songs), released December 1st on Right Brain Records. It’s an anthology of eight instrumental tracks between 10 and 23 minutes in length. The album features 8 artists, some familar and others on record for the first time. The full set of 104 minutes ventures into space rock, free jazz, world fusion, psychedelia, post-classical and experimental electronic. The common theme is that each piece allows lots of space for the musicians to develop themes, build moods and find vibes that’ll transport you to destinations unknown. This is an album for watching meteor showers or driving across the Great Plains. When it ends you’ll barely remember the beginning… which is an open invitation to start over again.
Click below to hear the music, and read on for album details. And here’s a podcast episode that samples this album’s sounds and summarizes the year in creative music.
Xtempore 3 opens with a dive into untethered psychedelia with “No Resolutions” by Ghost Bomb Survival, the solo project of Chris Williams (Gold Gazebo). He’s a multi-instrumentalist who crafts soundscapes using the Linnstrument, adding cello, cornet, synths and whatever else may be on hand. The title reflects the plasmatic, quantum foam-like nature of this track.
Space is the place for the second song, the debut of Dichotomous, a quartet of jazz and rock phenoms: saxophonist Jon Thompson (Edge City Collective), bassist Mike Taylor (Jack Wright & Michael Taylor), drummer Justin Leigh and guitarist Greg Snyder. “Space Traffic” is an extended jam that builds quickly and takes off..
Next stop, appropriately enough, is “Wormhole to Humanity” by Electro Manifesto, featuring the improvised experimental wizardry of Michael O’Neill on guitar/electronics and Gordon Kennedy on percussion/electronics/junk.
Return to Earth, perhaps landing in a mythical Eastern Europe, for the fourth track: “Gloam Glide Glee” from the trio Ping Pong Pang’s debut album. This spontaneously improvised world fusion masterpiece features Amy Denio on clarinet, James Hoskins (Vickie Dodd & James Hoskins) on cello and Kai Strandskov on percussion.
The journey continues with “Dance and Decay” from an upcoming 2023 album by SeFa LoCo + Vinny Golia. SeFa LoCo is a futuristic jazz quartet anchored by Ron Coulter on percussion, Farrell Lowe on guitar, Bret Sexton on saxophone and Bill McCrossen on bass. On this intense freeform piece, they’re joined by woodwind virtuoso Golia, called “one of the 100 most influential people in jazz” by Jazziz mag.
Time to decompress. Enter the kings of long songs, Bugs In The Basement, with German Pina and Justin Pollak. A new extended version of their piece “Baris Strenua/Epilachna Borealis” is over 15 minutes long, a choice excerpt for a band that commonly records marathon improvisations as long as an hour and a half. This piece spans electronica and psychedelic rock and highlights the dynamic range of their ongoing partnership.
Next, we are pleased to introduce Outlaw Space, a classical-jazz fusion chamber quartet from the inner depths of Seattle. “Drifting Clouds” is composed by drummer/percussionist Noah Colbeck, with an eastern-tinged introduction called “The Tuning Song” by pianist Stephen Fandrich. Bill Monteleone, saxophone, and Kirill Polyanskiy, violin, round out the virtuosic ensemble in a powerful live version that’d fill a a vinyl record side.
Which brings us to the last stop, an expansive piece appropriately titled “The Great Expanse,” by RACCA Trio + Ragin. The trio includes Ron Coulter (SeFa LoCo) on percussion, Alex Nauman on guitar and Matt Smiley on bass. They’re joined by trumpet master Hugh Ragin in a free-flowing masterpiece, the title track of their 2022 album.
Enjoy your personal long song experience. You can track these and other creative artists at Right Brain Records. You can subscribe here to get a free long song.