Vancouver-based guitarist GordonGrdina continues to create a wide palate of colors both in plugged in and acoustic fashion. Here are his two latest portraits.
Grdina focuses on the Middle Eastern oud with like minded members Mark Helias/b, Hank Roberts/cel, Hamin Honari/perc and the voice of Persian Fathieh Honari. The moods are rich and Middle Eastern, reflective of sounds ranging from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco to the Euphrates River. Roberts’ bowed strings swerve around Helias’ bass line for an embracing “Roqs e Parvaneh” with Honari criying out on the crescent moon of “Not of Them”. The textures are all palpable, and Grdina’s oud takes you to the shifting sands of the Sahara.
Playing guitar and midi-guitar, Grdina tams up with drummer/percussionist Christian Lillinger for a dozen tunes that feel like quick improvs. One minute the two get rocking like Aerosmith on “Impala” and then create ambient white noise on “Encounters”. There’s some Hendrix fuzz on the twangy “Dissolution” and static tones with drumming on “Ash”, with gobs of guitar effects and aggressive drumming on pieces like “Gerhard” and “Bunker”. What sticks to the wall?