James Elkington and Nathan Salsburg have announced their third album together; their second album, Ambsace, was released nine years ago so this does feel like a planet-aligning moment. All Gist will be released on April 12th via Paradise of Bachelors. The announcement is accompanied by their first single, a transmutation of Neneh Cherry’s monumental ‘Buffalo Stance‘, an uncrowded and contemplative offering on which the musical restraint and melodic playfulness of these two singular guitarists shine through with a warm sense of empathetic connection.
“While playing a few rounds of Neneh Cherry’s transcendent ‘Buffalo Stance’ for my toddler, I was struck for the first time (at least since c. 1988) by how fantastic some of its riffs are,” Salsburg recounts. “I suggested to Jim that we work up an arrangement for two guitars. Jim was initially doubtful — it’s a lot of rapping — but within an hour he sent back a one-guitar demo of most of the constituent melodic elements. It sent me into paroxysms of joy, only exceeded by the eventual thrill of sitting down together and hammering out our collaborative version.”
Separated by 300 miles and the alternate demands of daily life, Louisville-based Salsburg made it to the home of the Chicago-based Elkington to share their fragments of ideas across the kitchen table, and, over ‘varying degrees of frenzy, between groans and laughs, coffees and beers, and hard stops for school pick-ups, this latest collection of 10 songs was built. Some took their feverish shape in 40 minutes while others took several intense hours of tinkering, mostly for Salsburg to carve sympathetic designs around the knotty edifice Elkington had constructed.’
The duo are complimented by returning guest Wanees Zarour on violin, Pigeons band member Wednesday Knudsen, as well as Jean Cook on strings and Anna Jacobson on brass.
James Elkington’s latest album ‘Me Neither‘ was reviewed by Glenn Kimpton here.
…a fascinating insight into the encyclopaedic mind of a particularly creative and accomplished musician.
– Glenn Kimpton
Salzburg’s latest work is Landwerk, a series of deep escapist compositions that warp time as he plays with ghosts of the past using samples from early 20th-century phonograph records. It’s a beautiful double album and the vinyl version feels like you’re pulling out a couple of 78s as you’re initially greeted by the crackles of shellac.
All Gist Tracklisting
A1. “Death Wishes to Kill” 3:21
A2. “Long in the Tooth Again” 3:14
A3. “Numb Limbs” 2:59
A4. “Nicest Distinction” 5:53
A5. “Well, Well, Cornelius” 3:04
B1. “Explanation Point” 3:55
B2. “Fears of This Nature” 3:05
B3. “Rule Bretagne” 2:38
B4. “All Gist Could Be Yours” 5:28
B5. “Buffalo Stance” 5:19
Catalogue No & Release Date: PoB-075 / LP, CD, Digital: April 12, 2024
Pre-Order All Gist:
Bandcamp: https://jameselkingtonandnathansalsburg.bandcamp.com/album/all-gist
Smart Link: https://lnk.to/pob75