Graham Reynolds
Marfa
Golden Hornet Records
Subtitled “A country & western big band suite” it is, well, exactly that. Reynolds, who has composed for the screen (Richard Linklater’s Where’d You Go, et al), the stage with a bilingual opera, Pancho Villa From a Safe Distance and even a ballet entitled Grimm Tales, has released the first part of his The Marfa Triptych, entitled Marfa. It’s a big band work centering on former Merle Haggard guitarist Redd Volkaert and the pedal steel of long-time Dale Watson sidekick Ricky Davis.
I recently spent time traveling thru Texas coming back home, and this evocative work recalls memories of the trip. Lonely pedal steel is cast alongside violins, blaring trumpets sound akin to a movie score, and on “Redd, Redd, Redd” the legendary guitarist Volkaert throws down a bit of his masterful Telecaster magic, summoning up tumbleweeds caught in the wind. Simply marvelous. Other moments wouldn’t sound out of place if say Radiohead moved to West Texas and went acoustic (such as “Afterhours at the Ballroom”, “The Unihabited”), while others traverse a similar musical landscape to Ry Cooder’s stellar score to Paris, Texas.
I can’t wait until the next part of Reynold’s trilogy is released, but for now I’ll listen to Marfa, as a soundtrack to our recent journey. Highly recommended, particularly for those of you who crave something new and different.
