What, Wednesday afternoon again? And we know you’re thinking the same as us: “Man, I could do with something to just soothe this mid-week moment away to some kind of blissful coda.” Right. So what we have is a perfect mid-week mid-afternoon instrumental from talented guitarists Cameron Knowler and Eli Winter. Their new album ‘Anticipation‘ came out just last week, and this is the most recent single from it. The album was inspired by the pair travelling together through the Trans-Pecos- and playing where they could on the borderlands of Mexico and Texas.
They are a somewhat unlikely pairing, with Houstonian Cameron Knowler having come to bluegrass guitar through an obsession with Norman Blake, teaching himself over years of practice sessions 12 to 16 hours long. Whilst Eli Winter (named an artist to watch by The Guardian) has developed a moving command of the instrument like that of his inspirations Daniel Bachman and Jack Rose, with an energy and confidence honed from extensive touring and performances with Chicago experimental music touchstones such as Ryley Walker, Sam Wagster, and Tyler Damon. Bluegrass meets experimental jazz? Well it worked out ok when done with the banjo, so why not? The bulk of ‘Anticipation‘ was composed and recorded in Houston, in a marathon nine-hour session completed on the eve of Winter’s return to Chicago last year. and several of the recordings are first takes.
Photo: Mark Lewis
