Ted Morcaldi – Celestial Stranger

Clonmell Jazz Social

For the latest release for experimental jazz label Clonmell Jazz Social, guitarist Ted Morcaldi has convened a trio to flesh out his dreamlike concoctions. With some percussion from Joshua Blackmore and bass form Joel Humann, Ted spins twelve diverse pieces using the very different tones of electric, classical and twelve-string guitars plus various synth sounds.

There is a weeping clarity to the single-note guitar sound on first track “Opening” that merges seamlessly with his gently strummed jazz chords. A murmur of bass helps to highlight the various guitar elements, while his playful approach to the instruments is shown on “Elyesque”, a pæan to his adopted Fenlands. The rhythm rocks back and forth, with notes cast across the bows of a cruiser making its leisurely way inland.

Some rifle-fire drums add momentum; a staccato counterpoint to the reflective guitar sustain, but they don’t last and a sighing approximation of pedal steel slows the heartbeat. In fact, “Time Windows” was written as a reaction to the death of Jon Hassell and there is some of Jon’s pensive abstraction in the piece that also echoes his collaboration with David Sylvian. It is a fine piece that extrudes those ideas further, the synth lending an otherworldly element.

The other reference to the past is in his cover of David Bowie‘s “Art Decade”, updated for the modern listener with sombre drums that change pace at will. It seems to use the original as a means of expansion, and as a nice touch has Blackstar bassist Tim Lefebvre along for the ride.

“Stand There” has more of a post-rock feel with the emphasis on rock, the angularity of the piece being led by Joel’s bass. It drags the telegraph wire guitar in its wake, giving the track much more power with a rather anarchic growling workout towards the end. It is the complete antithesis of the gossamer-like “August 22, 2017” and it is this variation that makes the album so listenable.

“The Eel Catcher” is evocative of some of Gastr del Sol‘s more American primitive experiments, the delicate fingerpicking setting it apart, and “Pealing Bells” adds a hovering drone for further texture. The bass-led “Egret Woman” allows for a more down-to-earth sound after the drifting space circularity of the previous track; but the too-brief closer “Oscar’s Return” pitches the earlier warmer tones against a scattering of stars. You can sense the cold night air under a clear dark sky and this is perhaps the perfect ending to an adventure that is both personal but rather profound.

Clonmell Jazz Social are making a good name for themselves with each release adding to their adventurous spirit. Let’s see where they take us next.

-Mr Olivetti-